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| Criterion |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | 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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |