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| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Architecture arc42 |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | 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. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 30–60 min | 1-2 Tage | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 4-8 | 1-4 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |