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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | 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. | 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 | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 15-45 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 1-3 | 3-8 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |