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| Criterion | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Shape-First Modeling | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) | ![]() Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Shape-First Modeling defines data quality through shapes before implementation or integration frays at the edges. The approach fits when validation and data contracts should be part of the design from the start. | 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. | ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Halber Tag pro Domain Slice | 1-4 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1-5 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | SHACL or ShEx Shapes, Validation Reports, Data Contracts, Shape Documentation | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | Knowledge graphValidationSemantic | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |



