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Selected:Software Architecture CanvasUser InterviewsArchitecture Communication CanvasAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  UX Research User Interviews |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30–60 min per interview | 60-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1 participant per interview | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |