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| Criterion | ![]() UX Design Service Blueprinting | ![]() UX Research Empathy Mapping | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a service experience is spread across several touchpoints, it brings frontstage and backstage together. It shows where user contact and internal responsibility must fit. | 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. | 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. | 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 | High | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 0.5-2 Tage | 30–60 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 6-12 | 4-8 | 1-3 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Service Blueprint, Fail Points, Ownership Map | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | Service designOperationsJourneyBlueprint | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |



