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Criterion
Software Architecture Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Software Architecture Canvas
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration of Power-Interest Grid with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Facilitation
Power Interest Grid
Paper illustration of the Consensus Workshop working structure.
Facilitation
Consensus Workshop
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.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.When many stakeholders compete for attention at once, the Power Interest Grid sorts them by influence and stake. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as a Power Interest Grid and a stakeholder-specific strategy.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.
Complexitydifferent
LowHighLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 hSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope30-60 min1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
3-10Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-85-30
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality AttributesPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsPower Interest Grid, Strategy per StakeholderConsensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas
Tagsno overlap
CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
StakeholdersFacilitationAlignmentPlanning
FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment
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