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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Business Strategy PESTLE Analysis | ![]() Architecture Software Architecture 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. | 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. | PESTLE Analysis makes political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental influences visible. The environment of an initiative is thereby read systematically instead of through isolated trends. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 4-12 | 2-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | PESTLE Map, External Risks, Strategic Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | StrategyMarketAnalysis | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |



