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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  Product Discovery Test Card |  Product Discovery Learning Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The Test Card turns a critical assumption into a testable claim and specifies in advance which result counts as success. | The Learning Card connects traceable test results to a reasoned next action while keeping the limits of the insight visible. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 20-35 min | 25-40 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 1-5 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | 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 | Test Card with a pre-set threshold | Learning Card with evidence and next action |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryHypothesis | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryLearning |