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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
UX Research
Card Sorting
First-click Testing method illustration showing its working structure
UX Research
First-click Testing
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.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 users immediately turn the wrong way on a screen or wireframe, first click testing checks initial orientation at high speed. The first click shows early whether expectation, labeling, and wayfinding fit together.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen20-45 min1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent
4-12 BeobachtungenBased on research question10-30
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncAsync
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsContent groups, Label set, IA hypothesesClick Heatmap, Success Rate, Design Recommendations
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
Information architectureNavigationStructure
UXNavigationFindabilityValidation
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of a branching category tree with a highlighted search path and possible dead ends.
UX Research
Tree Testing
Paper illustration of a participant using a prototype while an observer takes notes beside a highlighted usability issue.
UX Research
Usability Testing
Paper illustration of Five-Minute VC Check with its method-specific working model.
Business Strategy
5-Minuten VC-Check