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| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 60-120 min | 1-4 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-5 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |