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Plan my session

Plan a concrete work block with agenda, roles, preparation, and a copyable result artifact.

Method session3-4 hWorkshopInception Canvas

Session: Architecture Inception Canvas

The plan translates the method into a concrete facilitated work block. Your inputs flow directly into the session brief and work artifact.

Derived automatically

Method session with 3-8. The plan uses the existing method logic and the runsheet.

Runsheet
Participation logic
Team round, shared work and alignment

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome logic
Finish artifact

The session works directly toward Inception Canvas. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

  1. 1

    Phase 1: Goals and system purpose

    20 min

    Describe the system purpose in 2-3 sentences. Define the top 3 business goals and their metrics. Clarify what will change when the system is live. Hint: If the goals are only about better architecture, they come from Engineering. Demand business outcomes.

    FacilitatorInception Canvas
  2. 2

    Phase 2: Stakeholders and quality attributes

    30 min

    List stakeholders with their main requirements. Derive the most important quality attributes from these requirements, such as performance, availability, security, and modifiability. Hint: If all quality attributes are high, the prioritization was not serious. Force ranking by the decider.

    FacilitatorRisks
  3. 3

    Phase 3: System boundary and interfaces

    30 min

    Define what is inside the system and what belongs to the environment. List external interfaces, such as consumers, suppliers, and data sources. Hint: Clear boundaries prevent scope creep. If the boundary is fuzzy, requirements are often fuzzy too.

    FacilitatorGoal List
  4. 4

    Phase 4: Constraints, risks, assumptions

    30 min

    List constraints (technology, budget, time, compliance), risks (technical, organizational, business), and assumptions explicitly. Mark assumptions that are critical for the architecture. Hint: Assumptions are often where architectures fail. Keep them explicit with date and owner so they can be revisited.

    FacilitatorOpen Questions
  5. 5

    Phase 5: Next steps and ADR stubs

    30 min

    Identify the top 3 architecture decisions that should become ADRs. Schedule the next workshops, for example QAW or Software Architecture Canvas. Assign an owner per stub. Hint: The canvas is inception, not the end product. Next steps must be scheduled explicitly, otherwise the artifact disappears.

    OwnerInception Canvas
  6. 6

    Publish artifact

    10 min

    Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients.

    OwnerInception Canvas
Usable artifact

Session Brief

For invitations, boards, tickets, PR descriptions, or workshop notes.

session-brief.md

Session Brief: Architecture Inception Canvas

Goal

Artifact: Inception Canvas

Working Question

Which minimal architecture decision covers the goals, constraints, and stakeholder needs without prematurely closing options?

Context

Business goal of the system; relevant business requirements; existing technical landscape; known constraints (budget, time, technology, compliance); similar systems as reference.

Setup

  • Format: Method session
  • Duration: 3-4 h
  • Mode: Workshop
  • Participants: One architect as owner; 3-6 participants from Engineering, Product, Operations, Security; one facilitator, ideally external but can be the architect; scribe.
  • Owner: One architect as owner
  • Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
  • Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Inception Canvas. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro board with canvas fields (goals, stakeholders, constraints, risks, quality attributes, system boundary, external interfaces, assumptions, next steps); stickies; template for ADR stub.

Preparation

Put the canvas on the wall. Add a short explanation to each field. Rule: fill fields in sequence, not in parallel. Focus on a 10-page architecture, not a 100-slide deck.

Agenda

  1. Phase 1: Goals and system purpose (20 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Describe the system purpose in 2-3 sentences. Define the top 3 business goals and their metrics. Clarify what will change when the system is live. Hint: If the goals are only about better architecture, they come from Engineering. Demand business outcomes. Output: Inception Canvas

  2. Phase 2: Stakeholders and quality attributes (30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: List stakeholders with their main requirements. Derive the most important quality attributes from these requirements, such as performance, availability, security, and modifiability. Hint: If all quality attributes are high, the prioritization was not serious. Force ranking by the decider. Output: Risks

  3. Phase 3: System boundary and interfaces (30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Define what is inside the system and what belongs to the environment. List external interfaces, such as consumers, suppliers, and data sources. Hint: Clear boundaries prevent scope creep. If the boundary is fuzzy, requirements are often fuzzy too. Output: Goal List

  4. Phase 4: Constraints, risks, assumptions (30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: List constraints (technology, budget, time, compliance), risks (technical, organizational, business), and assumptions explicitly. Mark assumptions that are critical for the architecture. Hint: Assumptions are often where architectures fail. Keep them explicit with date and owner so they can be revisited. Output: Open Questions

  5. Phase 5: Next steps and ADR stubs (30 min) Owner: Owner Action: Identify the top 3 architecture decisions that should become ADRs. Schedule the next workshops, for example QAW or Software Architecture Canvas. Assign an owner per stub. Hint: The canvas is inception, not the end product. Next steps must be scheduled explicitly, otherwise the artifact disappears. Output: Inception Canvas

  6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Inception Canvas

Closeout

  • Update result artifact: Inception Canvas
  • Define location, version, and review recipients.
  • Define owner, next step, and review date.
Usable artifact

Work artifact

Pre-filled starting point based on the matching template.

work-artifact.md

Inception Canvas: Architecture Inception Canvas

Working Question

Which minimal architecture decision covers the goals, constraints, and stakeholder needs without prematurely closing options?

Context

Business goal of the system; relevant business requirements; existing technical landscape; known constraints (budget, time, technology, compliance); similar systems as reference.

Participants

  • Owner: One architect as owner
  • Participants: One architect as owner; 3-6 participants from Engineering, Product, Operations, Security; one facilitator, ideally external but can be the architect; scribe.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro board with canvas fields (goals, stakeholders, constraints, risks, quality attributes, system boundary, external interfaces, assumptions, next steps); stickies; template for ADR stub.

Template

Architecture Inception Canvas Canvas

Context

What is this method used for?

Core question

Which question should be answered at the end?

Input

Which data, observations, or materials are available?

Working area

  • Area 1:
  • Area 2:
  • Area 3:
  • Relationships / patterns:

Output artifacts

  • Inception Canvas:
  • Risks:
  • Goal List:
  • Open Questions:

Open questions

  • ...

Next step

Owner, date, success signal.

Completion Check

  • Inception Canvas is complete enough for review:
  • Location:
  • Version / status:
  • Review by:
  • Next step:

Next Step

  • Review result
  • Mark open questions
  • Schedule review or decision
Template base

Architecture Inception Canvas Working Template

View templateCompact working template for Architecture Inception Canvas with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
canvas

architecture-inception-canvas-working-template.md

Compact working template for Architecture Inception Canvas with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.

Architecture Inception Canvas Canvas

Context

What is this method used for?

Core question

Which question should be answered at the end?

Input

Which data, observations, or materials are available?

Working area

  • Area 1:
  • Area 2:
  • Area 3:
  • Relationships / patterns:

Output artifacts

  • Inception Canvas:
  • Risks:
  • Goal List:
  • Open Questions:

Open questions

  • ...

Next step

Owner, date, success signal.

Ready to use when
  • Working question, owner, and target artifact are visible.
  • The result fits Inception Canvas.
  • Canvas with date and version. Changes need a rationale. For larger changes, create a new entry and archive the previous one. Link ADR stubs.
  • Open questions are noted as follow-ups.
  • The next review or decision point is scheduled.
ProfileRunsheet