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4DDR Examples

This collection demonstrates how 4D Decision Records work in practice across different project types, team sizes, and decision complexities.

Task Management SaaS Project​

Complete set of 4DDRs from the example project referenced in the 4DDR documentation:

  • 4DDR-0001: User Research Method (Discover)
  • 4DDR-0002: Frontend Technology Choice (Design)
  • 4DDR-0003: Database Architecture (Design)
  • 4DDR-0004: Testing Strategy (Develop)
  • 4DDR-0005: Deployment Process (Deploy)

E-commerce Platform​

Enterprise-scale project with complex stakeholder requirements:

  • 4DDR-0010: Market Research Approach (Discover)
  • 4DDR-0015: Microservices Architecture (Design)
  • 4DDR-0023: Payment Processing Integration (Develop)
  • 4DDR-0031: Kubernetes Deployment (Deploy)

By Decision Type​

Research & Discovery Decisions​

Examples of user research, market analysis, and requirements gathering decisions:

  • User interview methodology selection
  • Competitive analysis approaches
  • Requirements gathering techniques
  • Stakeholder engagement strategies

Architecture & Design Decisions​

Technical architecture and system design choices:

  • Technology stack selection
  • Database architecture decisions
  • API design patterns
  • Security architecture choices

Development Practice Decisions​

Implementation approaches and development processes:

  • Code quality standards
  • Testing strategies and tools
  • Development workflow processes
  • Performance optimization approaches

Infrastructure & Operations Decisions​

Deployment, hosting, and operational choices:

  • Cloud platform selection
  • Deployment automation strategies
  • Monitoring and observability approaches
  • Disaster recovery planning

By Organization Size​

Startup (2-5 people)​

  • Lightweight 4DDRs focused on essential decisions
  • Informal review processes
  • Git-only storage approach

Scale-up (6-25 people)​

  • Structured 4DDR templates with review processes
  • Cross-team coordination considerations
  • Hybrid storage with basic analytics

Enterprise (25+ people)​

  • Comprehensive 4DDR governance frameworks
  • Formal approval workflows
  • Advanced analytics and compliance tracking

By Project Phase​

New Projects​

Starting fresh with 4DDRs from day one:

  • Initial methodology decisions
  • Early technology choices
  • Foundational architecture decisions

Existing Projects​

Adding 4DDRs to ongoing projects:

  • Retrofitting existing decisions
  • Migration from traditional ADRs
  • Process integration strategies

Legacy Modernization​

Using 4DDRs for system updates:

  • Technology migration decisions
  • Architecture evolution choices
  • Risk mitigation strategies

Decision Evolution Examples​

Simple Evolution​

Single decision that gets updated over time:

  • Original decision → Context change → Updated decision

Supersession Chain​

Multiple related decisions that replace each other:

  • Decision A → Decision B (supersedes A) → Decision C (supersedes B)

Branching Decisions​

One decision that leads to multiple related decisions:

  • Core decision → Implementation decision 1 → Implementation decision 2

Templates in Action​

See how the different 4DDR templates work in practice:

  • Standard Template Examples (coming soon)
  • Quick Template Examples (coming soon)
  • Phase-Specific Template Examples (coming soon)

Anti-Pattern Examples​

Learn from common mistakes:

  • Over-documentation: Too many trivial decisions
  • Under-documentation: Missing critical context
  • Status neglect: Outdated decision statuses
  • Implementation drift: Decisions not matching reality

Interactive Examples​

Decision Timeline Visualization​

See how decisions evolve over a project timeline with dependencies and relationships.

Impact Analysis Examples​

Examples showing how to trace decision impacts across project phases.

Team Collaboration Examples​

Real examples of how teams use 4DDRs for communication and coordination.

Usage Guidelines​

For New Practitioners​

  • Start with simple examples from your project type
  • Focus on decision types most relevant to your role
  • Practice with the quick template first

For Team Leads​

  • Review governance examples appropriate to your team size
  • Study integration patterns for existing projects
  • Consider anti-patterns when setting up processes

For Architects​

  • Examine complex technical decision examples
  • Study decision chain patterns and dependencies
  • Review long-term evolution examples

These examples are based on real projects but anonymized for privacy. They demonstrate practical 4DDR usage across different contexts and can serve as templates for your own decision documentation.

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