category,method_name,description,output_pattern
core,Five Whys,Drill down to root causes by asking 'why' iteratively. Each answer becomes the basis for the next question. Particularly effective for problem analysis and understanding system failures.,problem → why1 → why2 → why3 → why4 → why5 → root cause
core,First Principles,Break down complex problems into fundamental truths and rebuild from there. Question assumptions and reconstruct understanding from basic principles.,assumptions → deconstruction → fundamentals → reconstruction → solution
structural,SWOT Analysis,Evaluate internal and external factors through Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats. Provides balanced strategic perspective.,strengths → weaknesses → opportunities → threats → strategic insights
structural,Mind Mapping,Create visual representations of interconnected concepts branching from central idea. Reveals relationships and patterns not immediately obvious.,central concept → primary branches → secondary branches → connections → insights
risk,Pre-mortem Analysis,Imagine project has failed and work backwards to identify potential failure points. Proactive risk identification through hypothetical failure scenarios.,future failure → contributing factors → warning signs → preventive measures
risk,Risk Matrix,Evaluate risks by probability and impact to prioritize mitigation efforts. Visual framework for systematic risk assessment.,risk identification → probability assessment → impact analysis → prioritization → mitigation
creative,SCAMPER,Systematic creative thinking through Substitute Combine Adapt Modify Put to other uses Eliminate Reverse. Generates innovative alternatives.,substitute → combine → adapt → modify → other uses → eliminate → reverse
creative,Six Thinking Hats,Explore topic from six perspectives: facts (white) emotions (red) caution (black) optimism (yellow) creativity (green) process (blue).,facts → emotions → risks → benefits → alternatives → synthesis
analytical,Root Cause Analysis,Systematic investigation to identify fundamental causes rather than symptoms. Uses various techniques to drill down to core issues.,symptoms → immediate causes → intermediate causes → root causes → solutions
analytical,Fishbone Diagram,Visual cause-and-effect analysis organizing potential causes into categories. Also known as Ishikawa diagram for systematic problem analysis.,problem statement → major categories → potential causes → sub-causes → prioritization
strategic,PESTLE Analysis,Examine Political Economic Social Technological Legal Environmental factors. Comprehensive external environment assessment.,political → economic → social → technological → legal → environmental → implications
strategic,Value Chain Analysis,Examine activities that create value from raw materials to end customer. Identifies competitive advantages and improvement opportunities.,primary activities → support activities → linkages → value creation → optimization
process,Journey Mapping,Visualize end-to-end experience identifying touchpoints pain points and opportunities. Understanding through customer or user perspective.,stages → touchpoints → actions → emotions → pain points → opportunities
process,Service Blueprint,Map service delivery showing frontstage backstage and support processes. Reveals service complexity and improvement areas.,customer actions → frontstage → backstage → support processes → improvement areas
stakeholder,Stakeholder Mapping,Identify and analyze stakeholders by interest and influence. Strategic approach to stakeholder engagement.,identification → interest analysis → influence assessment → engagement strategy
stakeholder,Empathy Map,Understand stakeholder perspectives through what they think feel see say do. Deep understanding of user needs and motivations.,thinks → feels → sees → says → does → pains → gains
decision,Decision Matrix,Evaluate options against weighted criteria for objective decision making. Systematic comparison of alternatives.,criteria definition → weighting → scoring → calculation → ranking → selection
decision,Cost-Benefit Analysis,Compare costs against benefits to evaluate decision viability. Quantitative approach to decision validation.,cost identification → benefit identification → quantification → comparison → recommendation
validation,Devil's Advocate,Challenge assumptions and proposals by arguing opposing viewpoint. Stress-testing through deliberate opposition.,proposal → counter-arguments → weaknesses → blind spots → strengthened proposal
validation,Red Team Analysis,Simulate adversarial perspective to identify vulnerabilities. Security and robustness through adversarial thinking.,current approach → adversarial view → attack vectors → vulnerabilities → countermeasures