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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration for Current Reality Tree
Systems Thinking
Current Reality Tree
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept 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.A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen2-6 h1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen3-81-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsCurrent Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention IdeasConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
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Often compared together

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

Paper illustration for Theory of Constraints Thinking Process.
Systems Thinking
Theory of Constraints Thinking Process
Paper illustration for Causal Factor Analysis.
Operations
Causal Factor Analysis
Causal Loop Diagram workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Systems Thinking
Causal Loop Diagram
Iceberg Model method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Iceberg Model