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Selected:Card SortingC4 ModelARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)Architecture Communication Canvas
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-4 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 1-5 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |