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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  UX Research First-click Testing |  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. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | When users immediately turn the wrong way on a screen or wireframe, first click testing checks initial orientation at high speed. The first click shows early whether expectation, labeling, and wayfinding fit together. | 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 | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 30-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | 10-30 | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Click Heatmap, Success Rate, Design Recommendations | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | UXNavigationFindabilityValidation | Information architectureNavigationFindability |