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Criterion
How Might We
Innovation
How Might We
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis
Purposedifferent
With a stuck problem carrying many implicit assumptions, the method translates observations into open, workable questions. It sharpens the problem frame without pre-thinking the solution, turning frustration or fuzziness into a search space with clear direction.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.CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighMedium
Timedifferent
30–45 minSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
1-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders3-8
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea PromptsPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsCATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints
Tagsno overlap
FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Operations
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping