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Selected:Failure Scenario AnalysisArchitecture Communication CanvasATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)C4 Model
| Criterion | ![]() Engineering Failure Scenario Analysis | ![]() Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas | ![]() Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In critical processes, it is not enough to plan only for the normal case. Failure Scenario Analysis looks at the path into failure and shows which failures, chains, and control gaps cause the most damage. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 60-120 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Failure Scenarios, Risk Notes, Control Gaps, Test and Response Actions | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | FailureResilienceRisk | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |



