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| Criterion |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Architecture Software Architecture 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 a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 30–60 min | 45–90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |