View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Architecture Software Architecture Canvas | ![]() Facilitation Power Interest Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | 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. | 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. | When many stakeholders compete for attention at once, the Power Interest Grid sorts them by influence and stake. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as a Power Interest Grid and a stakeholder-specific strategy. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 4-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Power Interest Grid, Strategy per Stakeholder |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | StakeholdersFacilitationAlignmentPlanning |



