View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Contextual Inquiry | ![]() Product Discovery Context Canvas | ![]() Agile Specification by Example | ![]() Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | When business rules need to become precise, it ties language, example, and test together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as an Example Table and Acceptance Tests. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 45-90 min | 60-90 min pro Feature | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 3-10 | 3-6 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Context canvas, Open questions, Shared context notes | Example Table, Acceptance Tests | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | ContextFramingRequirementsCanvas | AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |



