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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 1-3 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | SensemakingDecisionRationale |
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