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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 15-45 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 1-3 | 3-20 Reviewer |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






