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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |  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 Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. | 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. | 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 | High | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 2-4 h | 2-6 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 3-8 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Event Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective Actions |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline |