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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  UX Design Lean UX Canvas |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Inception 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. | The Lean UX Canvas helps clarify user behavior, touchpoints, and concept decisions. It makes assumptions and desired outcomes visible and captures the result as a completed canvas, hypothesis list, and first experiment. | 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 | 1-4 h | 2-3 h | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Completed Lean UX Canvas, Hypothesis list, First experiment | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | CanvasHypothesisOutcomesDiscovery | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |