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 Fishbowl Discussion.
Facilitation
Fishbowl Discussion
Paper illustration for World Café.
Facilitation
World Café
Paper illustration for Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping
Paper mind map with a central course onboarding question, colored main branches, keywords and cross-links.
Facilitation
Mind Mapping
Purposedifferent
When a controversial topic needs depth and discipline at the same time, Fishbowl Discussion makes the structure of the conversation transparent. The format keeps the core small enough for real dialogue and open enough for controlled turnover.When a group needs to connect many viewpoints in a short time, World Café creates a calm alternation between closeness and rotation. It sets thinking in motion without forcing the conversation into full-plenary rigidity.Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable.When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
45-90 min60-180 min1-3 h15-45 min
Participantsdifferent
8-8012-100+3-121-10
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up QuestionsTable Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared QuestionsKnowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer PlanMind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions
Tagsno overlap
FacilitationDialogueLarge group
FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking
KnowledgeMappingRisk
BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation
Add more methods