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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 60-120 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |