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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 4-12 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |