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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 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 Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |