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Selected:Architecture Decision RecordSoftware Architecture CanvasARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)Architecture Communication Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  Architecture Architecture Communication 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. | 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. | ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-2 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | 3-10 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |