View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  Facilitation Lean Coffee |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Facilitation World Café |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | When a group without a fixed agenda needs to get into useful conversations quickly, Lean Coffee structures the start around interests rather than a presentation. The group itself negotiates which topics get time first and which wait. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | When a group needs to connect many viewpoints in a short time, World Café creates a calm alternation between closeness and rotation. It sets thinking in motion without forcing the conversation into full-plenary rigidity. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30-90 min | 1-3 h | 60-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-20 | 1-8 | 12-100+ |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue | SensemakingDecisionRationale | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking |