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Criterion
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
Purposedifferent
LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.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.Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional45-90 min1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people2-81-8
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning PlanConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping
Red Teaming method illustration showing its working structure
Decision Making
Red Teaming
Paper illustration of a calibrated five-by-five risk matrix with response cards.
Decision Making
Risk Matrix