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Criterion
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Paper illustration of a two-by-two Ansoff Matrix with four growth directions
Business Strategy
Ansoff Matrix
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Purposedifferent
A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations.The Ansoff Matrix organizes growth options by market and product relation. It helps weigh expansion, diversification, and adaptation cleanly against each other.ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 h45-90 min2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional
Participantsdifferent
2-82-8Designers, developers as users, and facilitation
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage PointsAnsoff Matrix, Growth Options, Risk NotesPrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions
Tagsno overlap
FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics
GrowthStrategyMarketPortfolio
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Stock and Flow Diagram method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Stock and Flow Diagram
A paper-based illustration representing Wardley Mapping with its core stages and visible working result.
Systems Thinking
Wardley Mapping
Paper illustration for Behavior Over Time Graph.
Systems Thinking
Behavior Over Time Graph