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| Criterion |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 60-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-4 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |