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| Criterion |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  UX Research User Interviews |  Architecture C4 Model |  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. | 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 C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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 | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 30–60 min per interview | 1-4 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1 participant per interview | 1-5 | 5-30 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas |
Tagsno overlap | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment |