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| Criterion |  Innovation How Might We |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With a stuck problem carrying many implicit assumptions, the method translates observations into open, workable questions. It sharpens the problem frame without pre-thinking the solution, turning frustration or fuzziness into a search space with clear direction. | 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 Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | 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 | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30–45 min | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 2-8 | 2-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |