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| Criterion |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Architecture C4 Model |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Inception 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. | 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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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 | 45-90 min | 1-4 h | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-5 | 3-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |