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Criterion
Paper illustration of an eight-panel idea sheet with varied sketches beside a timer set to eight minutes.
Innovation
Crazy 8s
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of Rapid Ideation with its method-specific working model.
Innovation
Rapid Ideation
Paper illustration of the Lotus Blossom working structure.
Innovation
Lotus Blossom
Purposedifferent
With only a few minutes available and a still-fuzzy solution search, the method forces a wide range of variants. It produces fast sketches before the first idea can settle in, making different directions directly comparable and open to further development.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.When a decision needs to be prepared quickly, the method generates many solution-close variants in a short time. It deliberately relies on pace to undercut self-censorship and perfectionism. This quickly produces a usable field for prioritization and further work.When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighLowLow
Timedifferent
8-15 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope5-20 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
1-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders1-203-10
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Sketch Set, Idea Shortlist, Direction OptionsPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsIdeenpool, Roh-Shortlist, ClusterLotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist
Tagsno overlap
BrainstormingSketchingSpeedDivergenceDesign sprint
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
BrainstormingIdeationDivergenceSpeed
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop
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