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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research Surveys |  UX Research Tree Testing |  UX Research Card Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 topic needs to be validated broadly and many people can answer the same question, surveys gather structured feedback in a scalable form. Answers become comparable and segmentable instead of remaining merely anecdotal. | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 3-14 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 50+ | Based on research question | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Survey Results, Charts, Segment Insights | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | QuantitativeResearchValidation | Information architectureNavigationFindability | Information architectureNavigationStructure |