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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Product Discovery Context Canvas |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency. | 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. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 Tage | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-10 | Based on research question | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | Information architectureNavigationFindability | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |