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| Criterion |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Innovation Crazy 8s |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | With only a few minutes available and a still-fuzzy solution search, the method forces a wide range of variants. It produces fast sketches before the first idea can settle in, making different directions directly comparable and open to further development. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage | 8-15 min | 1-2 Tage | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1-10 | 1-4 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Sketch Set, Idea Shortlist, Direction Options | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations |
Tagsno overlap | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | BrainstormingSketchingSpeedDivergenceDesign sprint | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |