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Criterion
Views and Beyond method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Views and Beyond
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
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.When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.
Complexitysame
MediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Tage45-90 min1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung
Participantsdifferent
1-42-83-20 Reviewer
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, RationaleDecision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets
Tagsno overlap
DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis