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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research User Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
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 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 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 | High | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 30–60 min | 30–60 min per interview |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-8 | 1 participant per interview |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery |
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
