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| Criterion |  Architecture Request for Comments |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  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. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 30–60 min | 1-3 h | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 Reviewer | 4-8 | 1-8 | 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 | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | SensemakingDecisionRationale | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |