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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Innovation Crazy 8s |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  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. | With only a few minutes available and a still-fuzzy solution search, the method forces a wide range of variants. It produces fast sketches before the first idea can settle in, making different directions directly comparable and open to further development. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 8-15 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-10 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Sketch Set, Idea Shortlist, Direction Options | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | BrainstormingSketchingSpeedDivergenceDesign sprint | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |