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 Current Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tags1 shared | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |