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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Architecture Request for Comments |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-4 h | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-20 Reviewer | 1-5 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |