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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
A paper-based illustration representing Context Canvas with its core stages and visible working result.
Product Discovery
Context Canvas
Paper illustration for Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping
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.Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly.When an environment of users, systems, and constraints is hard to grasp, it puts the context compactly on the table. It creates a clear reading of influence, boundary, and dependency.Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-2 h45-90 min1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen1-83-103-12
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge GapsContext canvas, Open questions, Shared context notesKnowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas
KnowledgeMappingRisk
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