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| Criterion |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 60-120 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |
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