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Criterion
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Software Architecture Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Software Architecture Canvas
Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Architecture Communication Canvas method illustration showing its working structure
Architecture
Architecture Communication Canvas
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 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 options collide with several criteria, comparison quickly becomes subjective. A Decision Matrix makes the trade-off visible and brings weighting, criteria, and options into a shared logic.The Architecture Communication Canvas plans architecture communication so the right people receive the right message. The method turns technical complexity into deliberate communication design.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMediumMedium
Timedifferent
45-120 min1-2 h45-90 min60-120 min
Participantsdifferent
2-83-102-82-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted DownsidesArchitecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality AttributesDecision Matrix, Scoring Rationale, Selected OptionCommunication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan
Tagsno overlap
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop
DecisionCriteriaScoringTradeoffs
ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas
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