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Selected:Card SortingStakeholder MappingSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Alignment Mapping
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment 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. | When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 60–90 min | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation |