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| Criterion | ![]() Decision Making Option Framing | ![]() Decision Making Decision Framing Workshop | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | When a decision is poorly framed, even good answers deliver little value. A Decision Framing Workshop sharpens the problem, goal, and boundaries before the actual weighing begins. | 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 several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 60-120 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 4-10 | 1-3 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |



