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Criterion
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Three Amigos method illustration showing its working structure
Agile
Three Amigos
Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis
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.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.When story, test, and implementation could drift apart, it brings business perspective, engineering, and quality together early. It prevents a story from being read differently only late in the process.CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 hSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope15-30 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
3-12Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders33-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance ActionsPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsClarified Story, Test Examples, Open QuestionsCATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
CollaborationBehavior-Driven DevelopmentQualityRefinement
Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders
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