View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Systems Thinking Systems Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | Systems Mapping arranges elements, relationships, and boundaries so a complex field becomes legible at a glance. The overview stabilizes the overall picture before detail work or steering begins. | 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 | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | 1-3 h | 1-3 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-12 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | System Map, Dependencies, Leverage Points | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | Systems thinkingMappingBoundariesChange | SensemakingDecisionRationale |