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| Criterion |  Architecture arc42 |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research Personas |  UX Research User Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | When target groups stay too vague and teams talk about the same people differently, personas create a shared, solid picture of usage. Condensed profiles make needs, contexts, and differences tangible enough for decisions. | When teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 30–60 min | 1-3 Tage | 30–60 min per interview |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 4-8 | Internes Team | 1 participant per interview |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Persona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario Notes | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ResearchCustomerSynthesis | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery |