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Selected:Lotus BlossomATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Consensus WorkshopAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. | 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. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 5-30 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |