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Selected:Card SortingArchitecture Decision RecordLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)arc42
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 15-45 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 1-3 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |