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| Criterion |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture C4 Model |  Agile Affinity Estimation |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h | 30-90 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1-5 | 3-12 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |