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Criterion
Paper illustration for Decision Framing Workshop.
Decision Making
Decision Framing Workshop
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Purposedifferent
When a decision is poorly framed, even good answers deliver little value. A Decision Framing Workshop sharpens the problem, goal, and boundaries before the actual weighing begins.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.With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMedium
Timedifferent
60-120 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope45-120 min
Participantsdifferent
4-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence PlanPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides
Tagsno overlap
Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
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Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas