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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Card Sorting | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments | ![]() UX Research Tree Testing | ![]() Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. | 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. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 1-2 Tage | 90-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-20 Reviewer | Based on research question | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | Information architectureNavigationFindability | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility |



