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| Criterion |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | 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. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 90-180 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-8 | 3-20 Reviewer | 4-12 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |