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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |