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Selected:PARA MethodDecision Framing WorkshopSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Option Framing
| Criterion | ![]() Knowledge Modeling PARA Method | ![]() Decision Making Decision Framing Workshop | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Decision Making Option Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The PARA Method organizes knowledge into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It creates order when digital notes, files, and tasks no longer cleanly fit current work. | 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. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h Setup, laufend | 60-120 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1 | 4-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | PARA Structure, Project Notes, Knowledge Archive | Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs |
Tagsno overlap | KnowledgeProductivityOrganization | Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison |



