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Criterion
How Might We
Innovation
How Might We
Paper illustration of Futures Wheel with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
Futures Wheel
Paper illustration for Current Reality Tree
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.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 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
LowMediumHigh
Timedifferent
30–45 min60-120 min2-6 h
Participantsdifferent
1-103-103-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea PromptsFutures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic SignalsCurrent Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas
Tagsno overlap
FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions
ForesightSystems thinkingSignals
Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration for Theory of Constraints Thinking Process.
Systems Thinking
Theory of Constraints Thinking Process
Paper illustration for CATWOE Analysis.
Systems Thinking
CATWOE Analysis
Paper illustration for Causal Factor Analysis.
Operations
Causal Factor Analysis
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram