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Criterion
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of two user profile cards with a goal, behavior evidence, and an open research question.
UX Research
Personas
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
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 target groups stay too vague and teams talk about the same people differently, personas create a shared, solid picture of usage. Condensed profiles make needs, contexts, and differences tangible enough for decisions.When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer.
Complexitydifferent
HighMediumLow
Timedifferent
Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope1-3 Tage45–90 min
Participantsdifferent
Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholdersInternes Team3-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsPersona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario NotesTheme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
ResearchCustomerSynthesis
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
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Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Operations
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration of two people facing each other, speech bubbles and an open interview notebook.
UX Research
User Interviews
Paper illustration for 8D Problem Solving.
Operations
8D Problem Solving