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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Futures Wheel |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Innovation Lotus Blossom |  Innovation Reverse Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem. | For persistent errors or blockages, the method shifts the view to the opposite of the desired effect. It exposes the mechanics of failure and makes hidden causes easier to grasp. This makes improvement more concrete and the problem clearer. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 30-60 min | 45-90 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 3-10 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Lotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist | Reverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk |