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Architecture decision making defines structured processes for capturing, evaluating, and recording architectural choices. It aligns technical criteria with business objectives and risks to enable consistent, transparent decisions. Includes decision models, evaluation metrics, and governance guidance. Applied, it improves accountability, surfaces trade‑offs,…
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Theoretical construct: explains a term, principle, or mental model.
What organizes, connects, or makes decisions possible.
Architecture decision making is a structured way to handle decisions that shape a software system’s form, qualities, and long-term evolution.
The approach grew from the need to make architectural choices under uncertainty traceable. Michael Nygard’s 2011 approach to documenting architecture decisions shaped ADR practice, while tools such as adr-tools made it practical in daily work.
A decision card records the context and problem, compares options, makes the choice and consequences visible, and remains findable. When context changes, the card is revisited or superseded by a new decision.
Constraints and triggers explain why a decision was needed.
Comparable alternatives make trade-offs explicit.
Benefits, costs, and effects show the reach of a choice.
An ADR preserves rationale and timing for later teams.
The practice supports technical pivots, handovers, and later architectural change. It creates traceability but does not replace accountable judgment or periodic review of outdated assumptions.
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