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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  UX Research Tree Testing |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 1-3 | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | Information architectureNavigationFindability |
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