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| Criterion |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | 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. | 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 | 30-60 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 | 5-30 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |