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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments | ![]() UX Design Customer Journey Canvas | ![]() Architecture Architecture Inception 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. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | When a journey needs to be understood across several phases, it arranges experience, touchpoints, and opportunities into one picture. It makes gaps and friction along the user path clear. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-20 Reviewer | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Customer Journey Canvas, Pain Points, Experience Opportunities | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | JourneyCustomerService designCanvas | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |



