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Criterion
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
UX Research
Card Sorting
Paper illustration of Barrier Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Barrier Analysis
Four paper stations connect system purpose, quality goals, risk cards and focused investigation with a target and gap profile.
Architecture
LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)
Paper illustration for Fault Tree Analysis.
Operations
Fault Tree 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 a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions.LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail.For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumMediumHigh
Timedifferent
20-45 min2-4 h3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional2-6 h
Participantsdifferent
Based on research question2-61 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people3-8
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Content groups, Label set, IA hypothesesBarrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action BacklogLean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checksFault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationStructure
Root causeSafetyIncident
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
RiskRoot causeSafety
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