methodatlas
Compare

View methods side by side.

Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.

Criterion
Design Thinking as a learning loop: an observation notebook, a focused problem statement, different idea sketches, a cardboard prototype and user-test notes. Feedback leads to new understanding.
Innovation
Design Thinking
Iceberg Model method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Iceberg Model
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Paper illustration of Family Tree Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Family Tree Analysis
Purposedifferent
For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service.The Iceberg Model separates visible events from patterns, structures, and mental models. This turns a single observation into a deeper understanding of why a problem keeps recurring.For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.For a series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring.
Complexitydifferent
HighLowLowMedium
Timedifferent
1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen30-60 min15-30 min2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
4-102-102-62-6
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Problem Statement, Prototype, Test LearningsIceberg Worksheet, Pattern Notes, Intervention IdeasRoot cause notes, CountermeasuresFamily Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic Measures
Tagsno overlap
InnovationPrototypeResearch
Systems thinkingRoot causePatterns
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic
Add more methods