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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Architecture C4 Model |  Operations Causal Factor Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | 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. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. | 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 | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 1-4 h | 2-6 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1-5 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |