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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Matrix |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When several options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic. | 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. | When a project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 30-60 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Decision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected Option | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |