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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)Architecture Inception Canvas3-Circle Venn Diagram
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) | ![]() Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) | ![]() Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas | ![]() Facilitation 3-Circle Venn Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. | 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 three perspectives matter at the same time, a Three-Circle Venn Diagram shows the overlaps and remainders precisely. It makes visible where shared effect arises and where only a partial perspective applies. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 1-2 h | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
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 | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Venn Diagram, Overlap Notes, Differentiators |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ComparisonFacilitationAlignment |



