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Selected:Future Reality TreeARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)Causal Loop DiagramCurrent Reality Tree
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |