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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Decision Making Constraint Analysis | ![]() Decision Making Argument Mapping | ![]() Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | 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 | 1-2 Tage | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 2-8 | 1-8 | 2-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | SensemakingDecisionRationale | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |



