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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 1-3 Tage | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-8 | 1-4 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |