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Selected:User InterviewsSoftware Architecture CanvasArchitecture Communication CanvasAlignment Mapping
| Criterion |  UX Research User Interviews |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Communication Canvas |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 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. | 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 | 30–60 min per interview | 1-2 h | 60-120 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1 participant per interview | 3-10 | 2-8 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Communication Canvas, Stakeholder Messages, Architecture Communication Plan | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | ArchitectureCommunicationStakeholdersCanvas | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |