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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations 8D Problem Solving |  Innovation TRIZ |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For an acute quality or delivery problem, the method structures immediate protection and root cause work together. It keeps the situation stable while the actual cause is investigated cleanly. | For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-6 Wochen | 1-4 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-10 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | 8D Report, Containment Plan, Root Cause Evidence, Corrective Action Plan | Contradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | QualityProblem solvingRoot cause | InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |