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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Architecture Risk Storming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | 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. | Helps clarify architecture context, options, and consequences in concrete terms. It organizes technical context, alternatives, and consequences. The result is captured as an Annotated Diagram, a Prioritized Risk List, and an Action Backlog. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 45-60 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation |