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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  UX Research Card Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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. | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | Based on research question |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | Information architectureNavigationStructure |
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