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| Criterion |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | 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. | 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 | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage | 30–60 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 4-8 | 1-3 | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |