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Criterion
Paper illustration for World Café.
Facilitation
World Café
Paper illustration for Fishbowl Discussion.
Facilitation
Fishbowl Discussion
Paper illustration for Reverse Brainstorming
Innovation
Reverse Brainstorming
Paper illustration of the Lotus Blossom working structure.
Innovation
Lotus Blossom
Purposedifferent
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.For persistent errors or blockages, the method shifts the view to the opposite of the desired effect. It exposes the mechanics of failure and makes hidden causes easier to grasp. This makes improvement more concrete and the problem clearer.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
MediumMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
60-180 min45-90 min30-60 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
12-100+8-803-123-10
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared QuestionsDiscussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up QuestionsReverse Ideas, Risk Themes, Solution IdeasLotus Diagram, Idea Themes, Shortlist
Tagsno overlap
FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking
FacilitationDialogueLarge group
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityRisk
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityDivergenceWorkshop
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