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Selected:ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Affinity DiagrammingUser InterviewsFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research User Interviews |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | 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 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. | 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 | High | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45–90 min | 30–60 min per interview | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 | 1 participant per interview | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |