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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Surveys | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture Risk Storming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic needs to be validated broadly and many people can answer the same question, surveys gather structured feedback in a scalable form. Answers become comparable and segmentable instead of remaining merely anecdotal. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | 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. | Helps clarify architecture context, options, and consequences in concrete terms. It organizes technical context, alternatives, and consequences. The result is captured as an Annotated Diagram, a Prioritized Risk List, and an Action Backlog. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 3-14 Tage | 1-2 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 50+ | 4-12 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Survey Results, Charts, Segment Insights | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | QuantitativeResearchValidation | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation |



