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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research Customer Journey Mapping |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Barrier 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. | When a user journey falls apart across many touchpoints, customer journey mapping makes the experience visible as a coherent arc. Phases, emotions, and breaks become legible enough to prioritize critical moments deliberately. | 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. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 2-4 h | 15-30 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-10 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Journey Map, Pain-point List, Opportunity Backlog | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | JourneyServiceService design | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeSafetyIncident |