Originated by Fritz Zwicky (Morphological Astronomy, 1948) and developed for decision support by Tom Ritchey (Wicked Problems, Social Messes, 2011).
Breaks a problem into its dimensions, lists the possible values of each, and examines the combinations so that no workable configuration goes unseen.
When to reach for it
The range of possible designs, products, or strategies is large and unstructured, and the team keeps circling the few options it already knows.
How it runs
- Name the problem's main dimensions, usually five to twelve.
- List the possible values under each dimension.
- Lay the dimensions out as a grid of combinations.
- Strike the combinations that contradict themselves or lack credibility.
- Group the survivors into a few distinct types and compare them.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Morphological Astronomy, The Observatory, 1948
- Wicked Problems, Social Messes: Decision Support Modelling with Morphological Analysis, Springer, 2011