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Criterion
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Paper notes move from an inbox to action, project and calendar collections.
Operations
Getting Things Done
Design sheets and interface cards connect to jointly written pseudocode with highlighted unresolved questions.
Architecture
ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)
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.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.With many open commitments and ideas in daily life, a reliable external storage system emerges. The method relieves the mind so priority and context don't have to compete in memory.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
MediumMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
60-120 min1-3 h1-2 h Setup, laufend2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional
Participantsdifferent
3-102-81Designers, developers as users, and facilitation
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopAsyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsCausal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage PointsAction Lists, Project List, Review RoutinePrioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions
Tagsno overlap
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics
ProductivityPlanningTasksExecution
ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks
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