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Criterion
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Decision Tree method illustration showing its working structure
Decision Making
Decision Tree
Paper illustration for DACI
Decision Making
DACI
Purposedifferent
ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch.In cross-functional decisions, responsibilities quickly blur between approval, influence, and execution. DACI arranges these roles so decision pressure, contribution, and information stay cleanly separated.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung30-90 min30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
Designers, developers as users, and facilitation3-20 Reviewer1-62-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisionsRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsDecision Tree, Option Map, Assumption ListDACI Matrix, Decision Owner, Decision Log
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
DecisionTreeOptions
DecisionRolesGovernanceAlignment
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