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Selected:Change AnalysisAffinity DiagrammingUser InterviewsSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)
| Criterion |  Operations Change Analysis |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research User Interviews |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For a deviation after a change, the method isolates the influence of the altered condition. It narrows down which differences are relevant and which are just accompanying noise. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | When teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 45–90 min | 30–60 min per interview | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-10 | 1 participant per interview | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Change Matrix, Cause Hypotheses, Validation Questions, Action List | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | 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 |
Tagsno overlap | ChangeRoot causeTroubleshootingComparison | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality |