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Selected:Rich PictureATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Decision RecordViews and Beyond
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Views and Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | 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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 15-45 min | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-3 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture |