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Criterion
Paper illustration of Starbursting with its method-specific working model.
Innovation
Starbursting
Paper illustration for World Café.
Facilitation
World Café
Paper illustration for Fishbowl Discussion.
Facilitation
Fishbowl Discussion
Paper illustration of the Lotus Blossom working structure.
Innovation
Lotus Blossom
Purposedifferent
Helps clarify ideas, open questions, and testable next steps in concrete terms. It opens the thinking space, collects ideas, and leads to testable options. The result is captured as a star-shaped question map, question list, and assumption list.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.When a central question feels too large, the method breaks it into neighboring topic fields with their own depth of ideation. It holds structure and openness at the same time, so adjacent perspectives don't get lost. This grows an idea space out of a core problem.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
30-60 min60-180 min45-90 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
3-1012-100+8-803-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Star-Shaped Question Map, Question List, Assumption ListTable Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared QuestionsDiscussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up QuestionsLotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist
Tagsno overlap
BrainstormingIdeationWorkshopDiscovery
FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking
FacilitationDialogueLarge group
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop
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