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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Option FramingSoftware Architecture CanvasDecision Framing Workshop
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Decision Making Option Framing |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Decision Making Decision Framing Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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. | When a decision is poorly framed, even good answers deliver little value. A Decision Framing Workshop sharpens the problem, goal, and boundaries before the actual weighing begins. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 45-120 min | 1-2 h | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-8 | 3-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | 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 | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Decision Frame, Decision Question, Criteria List, Evidence Plan |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | Decision framingAlignmentCriteriaOptions |