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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Design Thinking | ![]() Decision Making RAPID | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | In complex management decisions, clarity is often missing about who recommends, who agrees, and who makes the decision. RAPID creates this assignment and stabilizes decisions across several levels. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 45-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 3-12 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-20 Reviewer |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | RAPID Role Map, Recommendation, Decision Log | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | DecisionRolesGovernance | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance |



