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| Criterion | ![]() Architecture Software Architecture Canvas | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Decision Jam | ![]() Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | When a decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 60-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 4-10 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |



