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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Innovation Starbursting |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Innovation Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Helps clarify ideas, open questions, and testable next steps in concrete terms. It opens the thinking space, collects ideas, and leads to testable options. The result is captured as a star-shaped question map, question list, and assumption list. | 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. | When a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 1-2 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Star-Shaped Question Map, Question List, Assumption List | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | BrainstormingIdeationWorkshopDiscovery | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |