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
Paper illustration for Diary Study.
UX Research
Diary Study
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Paper illustration for Current Reality Tree
Systems Thinking
Current Reality Tree
Purposedifferent
When experiences build up over days or weeks and a single session cannot capture them, Diary Study records the course of everyday life. Recurring triggers, moods, and habits become visible this way, beyond the sharpness of memory.The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event.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.A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumMediumHigh
Timedifferent
1-4 Wochen60-120 min1-3 h2-6 h
Participantsdifferent
5-203-102-83-8
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience TimelineFutures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsCausal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage PointsCurrent Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas
Tagsno overlap
UX researchTrackingBehavior
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics
Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality
Add more methods