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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  UX Design Customer Journey Canvas |  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 a journey needs to be understood across several phases, it arranges experience, touchpoints, and opportunities into one picture. It makes gaps and friction along the user path clear. | 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 | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 2-6 h | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Customer Journey Canvas, Pain Points, Experience Opportunities | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | JourneyCustomerService designCanvas | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |