Architecture Decision Record Template

Architecture decisions are among the most consequential and hardest to reverse choices a technical team makes. A decision made in an afternoon shapes the codebase for years. Most ADRs document the decision after the fact — this template structures the decision-making process itself.

This template applies four complementary frameworks to architecture trade-offs. Pugh Matrix evaluates each option against a baseline (often the status quo). Weighted decision matrix scores across custom criteria like performance, maintainability, and team expertise. Risk Matrix quantifies the downside scenarios. And TCO models the lifetime cost including migration, training, and ongoing operations.

The output is a scored architecture decision record with full methodology transparency — ideal for tech leads documenting decisions for future team members.