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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Growth A/B Testing |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | When two variants compete, discussions quickly decide by taste rather than effect. A/B Testing checks behavior under controlled conditions and separates real improvement from chance or expectation effects. | When demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 Wochen | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 1-8 | 1-6 | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Experiment results, Decision log, Learning summary | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | ExperimentsGrowthAnalyticsValidation | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth |