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Selected:Architecture Inception CanvasATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)ROAM BoardSoftware Architecture Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Agile ROAM Board |  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. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When work needs to move between different states or columns, it makes that movement and its handoffs legible. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as a ROAM Board and an Owner List. | 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 | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 20-40 min initial, dann laufend | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-15 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | ROAM Board, Owner List | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskAgileTrackingAlignment | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |