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Criterion
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)
A paper-based illustration representing C4 Model with its core stages and visible working result.
Architecture
C4 Model
Rich Picture workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Rich Picture
Purposedifferent
LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.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.A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLow
Timedifferent
3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional1-4 h30-90 min
Participantsdifferent
1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people1-52-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksContext Diagram, Container Diagram, Component DiagramRich Picture, Problem Framing Notes
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization
Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis