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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Operations Causal Factor 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. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 2-6 h | 30-90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |