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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 for Soft Systems Methodology.
Systems Thinking
Soft Systems Methodology
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
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.Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action.When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMedium
Timedifferent
2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional0.5-3 Tage1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
Designers, developers as users, and facilitation5-151-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisionsRich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change AgendaArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking
SensemakingDecisionRationale
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Cynefin Workshop.
Decision Making
Cynefin Workshop
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Paper illustration of an IBIS map with issues, positions and arguments
Knowledge Modeling
IBIS