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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Domain Modeling Context Map |  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. | 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 contexts need to talk to each other, it makes their relationships and dependencies legible. It helps sort integration pressure and responsibilities across system boundaries. | 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 | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 45-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Context Map, Integration Patterns, Boundary Notes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | Domain-Driven DesignBoundariesStrategy | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |