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Selected:Architecture Decision RecordQuality Attribute WorkshopContext CanvasSoftware Architecture Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Quality Attribute Workshop |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | A Quality Attribute Workshop translates quality requirements into concrete scenarios and architecture impulses. The method brings product, engineering, and operations to the same view of desired properties. | When an environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency. | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 2-4 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 5-15 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Quality Scenarios, Priority List, Architecture Concerns | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | RequirementsArchitectureWorkshop | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |