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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | 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. | ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 15-45 min | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-3 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks |
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