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Selected:Decision MatrixARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)Request for CommentsArchitecture Decision Record
Criterion
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
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.ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.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
MediumMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
45-90 min2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
2-8Designers, developers as users, and facilitation3-20 Reviewer1-3
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncAsyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionPrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisionsRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsADR File, Decision Log, Rationale
Tagsno overlap
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
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