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Criterion
Software Architecture Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Software Architecture Canvas
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
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 options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic.The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design.With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-2 h45-90 min60-120 min45-120 min
Participantsdifferent
3-102-82-82-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality AttributesDecision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionCommunication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication PlanTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides
Tagsno overlap
CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
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