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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 45-120 min | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 2-8 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |