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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-4 h | 60-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 1-5 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |