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| Criterion |  Facilitation Dot Estimation |  Architecture arc42 |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When size or effort can only be estimated roughly, Dot Estimation condenses the group's experience into a quick range. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as an Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, and Discussion Targets. | 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. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 5-20 min | 1-2 Tage | 45-90 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 1-4 | 2-8 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion Targets | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | EstimationEffortRisk | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |