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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  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 an environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |