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Criterion
Paper illustration of the Lightning Decision Jam working structure.
Facilitation
Decision Jam
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Software Architecture Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Software Architecture Canvas
Purposedifferent
When a decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.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.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighLow
Timedifferent
60-90 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
4-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders3-10
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, ExperimentPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsArchitecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes
Tagsno overlap
FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Alignment Mapping.
Facilitation
Alignment Mapping
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Architecture Inception Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Inception Canvas
Paper illustration of the Consensus Workshop working structure.
Facilitation
Consensus Workshop