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Criterion
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
A paper-based illustration representing C4 Model with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
C4 Model
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
A paper-based illustration representing arc42 with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
arc42
Purposedifferent
In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes.When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on.arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMediumLow
Timedifferent
20–45 min1-4 h1-3 h1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent
Small cross-functional group1-51-81-4
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logContext Diagram, Container Diagram, Component DiagramArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision RationaleArchitecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View
Tagsno overlap
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization
SensemakingDecisionRationale
ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication
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