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Selected:CATWOE AnalysisARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)Architecture Decision RecordATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 15-45 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 1-3 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |