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Selected:Causal Loop Diagram Architecture Decision Record arc42 ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)

Criterion	Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram	Architecture Architecture Decision Record	Architecture arc42	Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Purposedifferent	A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations.	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.	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.	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.
Complexitydifferent	Medium	Low	Low	Medium
Timedifferent	1-3 h	15-45 min	1-2 Tage	2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional
Participantsdifferent	2-8	1-3	1-4	Designers, developers as users, and facilitation
Formatdifferent	Workshop	Async	Workshop + async	Workshop + async
Outputdifferent	Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points	ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale	Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View	Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions
Tagsno overlap	FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics	ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance	ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication	ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks

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