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Selected:Architecture Inception CanvasAssumption SurfacingConstraint AnalysisSoftware Architecture Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Decision Making Constraint 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. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |