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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Operations ALPEN Method |  UX Research Diary Study |  Operations Getting Things Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | With an overloaded day full of too many tasks, a realistic picture of the day emerges. The method connects estimating, deciding, and buffer thinking so planning fits available energy and time. | When experiences build up over days or weeks and a single session cannot capture them, Diary Study records the course of everyday life. Recurring triggers, moods, and habits become visible this way, beyond the sharpness of memory. | With many open commitments and ideas in daily life, a reliable external storage system emerges. The method relieves the mind so priority and context don't have to compete in memory. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 10-20 min daily | 1-4 Wochen | 1-2 h Setup, laufend |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 1 | 5-20 | 1 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Daily Plan, Time Estimates, Review Notes | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Action Lists, Project List, Review Routine |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | PlanningTime managementProductivityOperations | UX researchTrackingBehavior | ProductivityPlanningTasksExecution |