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Criterion
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping
Paper illustration of Specification by Example with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Agile
Specification by Example
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration of Acceptance Criteria Workshop with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Agile
Acceptance Criteria Workshop
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.When business rules need to become precise, it ties language, example, and test together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as an Example Table and Acceptance Tests.LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.When a story needs clear checkpoints before implementation, it sharpens expectation and scope together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as Acceptance Criteria and a Story Update.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-2 h60-90 min pro Feature3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional20-40 min pro Story
Participantsdifferent
3-123-61 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people3-6
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance ActionsExample Table, Acceptance TestsLean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksAcceptance Criteria, Story Update
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership
AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
AgileRequirementsRefinementBehavior-Driven Development
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