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 for Soft Systems Methodology.
Systems Thinking
Soft Systems Methodology
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
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.Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action.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.When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-4 Wochen0.5-3 Tage60-120 min1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
5-205-153-101-8
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience TimelineRich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change AgendaFutures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale
Tagsno overlap
UX researchTrackingBehavior
Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
SensemakingDecisionRationale
Add more methods