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 Option Framing |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  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. | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 45-120 min | 1-2 h | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-10 | 3-8 | 4-12 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |