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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)User Interviewsarc42Architecture Decision Record
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  UX Research User Interviews |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 30–60 min per interview | 1-2 Tage | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1 participant per interview | 1-4 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |