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Criterion
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Paper mind map with a central course onboarding question, colored main branches, keywords and cross-links.
Facilitation
Mind Mapping
Paper illustration for Future Reality Tree.
Systems Thinking
Future Reality Tree
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 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.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowHigh
Timedifferent
60-120 min15-45 min2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
3-101-103-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsMind Map, Topic Clusters, Open QuestionsFuture Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections
Tagsno overlap
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation
Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Systems Mapping method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Systems Mapping
Paper illustration of several people silently writing ideas and passing sheets around with arrows.
Innovation
Brainwriting
Paper illustration for Evaporating Cloud.
Systems Thinking
Evaporating Cloud
Paper illustration for Intervention Mapping.
Systems Thinking
Intervention Mapping