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| Criterion |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Operations 5 Whys |  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 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 15-30 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-6 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |