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Criterion
Rich Picture workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Rich Picture
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
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.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.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.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLow
Timedifferent
30-90 min1-3 h15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
2-101-81-3
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Rich Picture, Problem Framing NotesArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision RationaleADR File, Decision Log, Rationale
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization
SensemakingDecisionRationale
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration for Soft Systems Methodology.
Systems Thinking
Soft Systems Methodology
A paper-based illustration representing C4 Model with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
C4 Model