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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Customer Journey CanvasATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Architecture Inception Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  UX Design Customer Journey Canvas |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When a journey needs to be understood across several phases, it arranges experience, touchpoints, and opportunities into one picture. It makes gaps and friction along the user path clear. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-3 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | 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 | Customer Journey Canvas, Pain Points, Experience Opportunities | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | JourneyCustomerService designCanvas | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |