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Selected:Product Vision BoardSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Architecture Inception CanvasAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Product Strategy Product Vision Board |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a product needs a shared direction, it connects target audience, benefit, and business picture in a clear vision. It makes the envisioned future legible for the team. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Product Vision Board, Vision Statement, Assumptions and Validation Questions | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | VisionCanvasStrategyAlignment | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |