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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Risk StormingConsensus WorkshopSoftware Architecture Canvas
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Architecture Risk Storming |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  Architecture Software Architecture 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. | Helps clarify architecture context, options, and consequences in concrete terms. It organizes technical context, alternatives, and consequences. The result is captured as an Annotated Diagram, a Prioritized Risk List, and an Action Backlog. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 60-90 min | 1-3 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 | 5-30 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | 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 | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop |