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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Delivery Communication Plan |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | When many people need to be informed in parallel and messages would otherwise arrive unevenly or too late, a Communication Plan orders communication reliably. Channels, audiences, and cadences interlock so important information doesn't get lost. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 2-6 | 3-8 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Communication Plan, Channel Matrix, Message Cadence | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | CommunicationStakeholdersDeliveryPlanning | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |