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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)C4 ModelArchitecture Communication CanvasCommunication Plan
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas | ![]() Delivery Communication Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-4 h | 60-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-5 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning |



