View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
Selected:Option FramingSoftware Architecture CanvasAlignment MappingArchitecture Communication Canvas
| Criterion |  Decision Making Option Framing |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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 Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 3-10 | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan |
Tagsno overlap | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas |