View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|
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 demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-5 Tage | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | Nutzertraffic | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
