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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  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. | 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. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | 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 | 1-2 h | 15-45 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 3-10 | 1-3 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |