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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  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. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | 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 | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 15-45 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 4-10 | 1-3 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | InnovationPrototypeResearch | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |