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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Operations 5 Whys |  UX Research Personas |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | When target groups stay too vague and teams talk about the same people differently, personas create a shared, solid picture of usage. Condensed profiles make needs, contexts, and differences tangible enough for decisions. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 15-30 min | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 2-6 | Internes Team | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Persona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario Notes | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | ResearchCustomerSynthesis | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |