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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 15-45 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-3 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas |
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