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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Knowledge Modeling Concept 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. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-3 h | 15-45 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 1-8 | 1-3 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | SensemakingDecisionRationale | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking |