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Selected:Context CanvasAffinity EstimationArchitecture Decision RecordArchitecture Communication Canvas
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Agile Affinity Estimation |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When an environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency. | When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 30-90 min | 15-45 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-12 | 1-3 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |