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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|
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 demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-5 Tage | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Nutzertraffic | 1-4 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |
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