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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Innovation Design Sprint |  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. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. | 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 | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 4-5 Tage | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 4-10 | 5-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | InnovationPrototypeResearch | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |