View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis | ![]() Facilitation World Café | ![]() Facilitation Fishbowl Discussion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. | 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. | When a controversial topic needs depth and discipline at the same time, Fishbowl Discussion makes the structure of the conversation transparent. The format keeps the core small enough for real dialogue and open enough for controlled turnover. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 45-90 min | 60-180 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 3-8 | 12-100+ | 8-80 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions | Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking | FacilitationDialogueLarge group |



