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Criterion
Paper illustration for Evaporating Cloud.
Systems Thinking
Evaporating Cloud
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
Purposedifferent
The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict.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.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.
Complexitysame
MediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
60-120 min1-3 h2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional
Participantsdifferent
2-82-8Designers, developers as users, and facilitation
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next ExperimentsCausal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage PointsPrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions
Tagsno overlap
Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking
FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics
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
Paper illustration for Theory of Constraints Thinking Process.
Systems Thinking
Theory of Constraints Thinking Process
Paper illustration of a calm four-quadrant Assumption Map with hypothesis cards and emphasis on important assumptions with little evidence.
Product Discovery
Assumption Mapping
Paper illustration for Behavior Over Time Graph.
Systems Thinking
Behavior Over Time Graph