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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Agile Affinity Estimation |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | 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. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 30-90 min | 60-120 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-12 | 2-8 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear Items | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | EstimationBacklogRelative sizing | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |