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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Delivery Shape Up | ![]() Architecture Architecture Communication 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. | Shape Up helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow. It makes work boundaries and decisions explicit and captures results as pitches, bet-table decisions, and hill charts. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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 | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 6 Wochen Cycle + 2 Wochen Cool-Down | 60-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 2-4 pro Pitch | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Pitches, Bet-table decisions, Hill charts, Cooldown outcomes | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | PlanningDeliveryAutonomy | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |



