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Selected:Alignment MappingLotus BlossomATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Consensus Workshop
| Criterion |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 3-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 5-30 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment |