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| Criterion |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  UX Research User Interviews |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  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 teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | 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. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30–60 min per interview | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1 participant per interview | 4-12 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |