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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Engineering Golden Path |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | When teams need a reliable default path for frequent use, sprawl quickly emerges without any guiding logic. Golden Path bundles the preferred path so good practice becomes easy and deviation becomes deliberate. | 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. | 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 | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-3 Tage Setup, laufend | 1-4 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-8 | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Golden Path Guide, Templates, Quality Checks | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | EngineeringProductivityGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |