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Criterion
Software Architecture Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Software Architecture Canvas
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration for Risk Storming.
Architecture
Risk Storming
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Purposedifferent
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.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.ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 h15-45 min60-90 min2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional
Participantsdifferent
3-101-34-12Designers, developers as users, and facilitation
Formatdifferent
WorkshopAsyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality AttributesADR File, Decision Log, RationaleAnnotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action BacklogPrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions
Tags1 shared
CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
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