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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Agile Sailboat Retrospective | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Agile Starfish 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 wants to read momentum, brakes, and risks together, it offers an easily understandable picture of the situation. It makes drive, obstacles, and headwind visible in the same picture. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 4-12 | 1-4 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Sailboat Board, Risks, Improvement Actions | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Starfish Board, Practice Changes, Experiments |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | RetrospectiveTeamImprovement | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | RetrospectiveImprovementExperimentsTeam |



