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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Agile Mad Sad Glad | ![]() Agile Starfish Retrospective | ![]() Agile 4Ls Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible. | When improvement options need to be sorted more finely than just start and stop, it brings observations into clear kinds of action. This makes visible what should be done more, less, newly, or continued. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 30-60 min | 45-90 min | 45–75 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 3-10 | 4-12 | Team members involved |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Emotion Board, Themes, Action Items | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | RetrospectiveTeamReflection | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam |



