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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |  Innovation How Might We |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. | 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. | With a stuck problem carrying many implicit assumptions, the method translates observations into open, workable questions. It sharpens the problem frame without pre-thinking the solution, turning frustration or fuzziness into a search space with clear direction. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 45-90 min | 30–45 min | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 3-8 | 1-10 | 2-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints | HMW Questions, Challenge Framing, Idea Prompts | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders | FramingOpportunityIdeationQuestions | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization |