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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-4 h | 1-3 Tage | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 1-5 | 1-4 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |