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Criterion
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
UX Research
Card Sorting
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 of a branching category tree with a highlighted search path and possible dead ends.
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.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.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
LowMediumMedium
Timedifferent
20-45 min3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent
Based on research question1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 peopleBased on research question
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Content groups, Label set, IA hypothesesLean 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 checksFindability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationStructure
ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean
Information architectureNavigationFindability
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Paper illustration for Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Operations
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
First-click Testing method illustration showing its working structure
UX Research
First-click Testing
Paper illustration of a calibrated five-by-five risk matrix with response cards.
Decision Making
Risk Matrix