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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation How Might We | ![]() Product Discovery Context Canvas | ![]() Architecture Software Architecture Canvas | ![]() Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When an environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency. | 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. | 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 | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30–45 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |



