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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
Paper illustration of a branching impact map with a Why goal at the root, actor circles, How behavior changes and What options.
Product Strategy
Impact 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 a goal needs to be connected to several possible paths, it shows chains of impact instead of feature lists. It connects business goal, behavior change, and measures.
Complexitysame
MediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-2 h45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen1-83-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge GapsImpact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery Options
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning
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Often compared together

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

Paper illustration for Diary Study.
UX Research
Diary Study
Gap Analysis method illustration showing its working structure
Business Strategy
GAP Analysis
Paper illustration of GIST Planning with its method-specific working model.
Product Strategy
GIST Planning
Paper illustration for Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping