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Selected:Card SortingFailure Mode and Effects AnalysisRisk StormingATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |  Architecture Risk Storming |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-6 h | 60-90 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-10 | 4-12 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions | Annotated Diagram, Prioritized Risk List, Action Backlog | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause | RiskArchitectureWorkshopValidation | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders |