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 |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | 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. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 90-180 min | 1-3 h | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 4-12 | 1-8 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | SensemakingDecisionRationale | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |