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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Communication CanvasAssumption SurfacingArchitecture Inception Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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 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 | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 60-120 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |