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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Views and Beyond method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Views and Beyond
Purposedifferent
When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise.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.Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-2 Tage1-3 Tage
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen1-41-4
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsArchitecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment ViewArchitecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
A paper-based illustration representing C4 Model with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
C4 Model
Paper illustration for Communication Plan
Delivery
Communication Plan