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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Inception CanvasPower Interest GridSoftware Architecture Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Facilitation Power Interest Grid |  Architecture Software Architecture 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 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 many stakeholders compete for attention at once, the Power Interest Grid sorts them by influence and stake. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as a Power Interest Grid and a stakeholder-specific strategy. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | 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 | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Power Interest Grid, Strategy per Stakeholder | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | StakeholdersFacilitationAlignmentPlanning | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |