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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Facilitation Open Space Technology | ![]() Facilitation World Café | ![]() Facilitation Lean Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When a complex topic does not yet have a fitting agenda, Open Space Technology hands topic ownership back to the participants. The format suits questions that only move forward when real interest determines the order. | When a group needs to connect many viewpoints in a short time, World Café creates a calm alternation between closeness and rotation. It sets thinking in motion without forcing the conversation into full-plenary rigidity. | When a group without a fixed agenda needs to get into useful conversations quickly, Lean Coffee structures the start around interests rather than a presentation. The group itself negotiates which topics get time first and which wait. |
Complexitydifferent | High | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 0.5-2 Tage | 60-180 min | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 20-500+ | 12-100+ | 3-20 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Session Marketplace, Proceedings, Action Topics | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | FacilitationLarge groupAutonomy | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue |



