View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  UX Research Customer Journey Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a user journey falls apart across many touchpoints, customer journey mapping makes the experience visible as a coherent arc. Phases, emotions, and breaks become legible enough to prioritize critical moments deliberately. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 1-3 h | 15-45 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1-8 | 1-3 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Journey Map, Pain-point List, Opportunity Backlog | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | JourneyServiceService design | SensemakingDecisionRationale | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |