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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |