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| Criterion |  Business Strategy SWOT Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | SWOT Analysis arranges strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats into a compact picture of the situation. It keeps internal capabilities and external influences separate before strategic options emerge from them. | 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. | 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 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 1-2 h | 1-2 h | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 4-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | SWOT matrix, Strategic options, Action list | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisMarketPositioning | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |