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Selected:Affinity DiagrammingSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Empathy MappingFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects 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. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30–60 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |