methodatlas
Compare

View methods side by side.

Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.

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
Iceberg Model method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Iceberg Model
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.The Iceberg Model separates visible events from patterns, structures, and mental models. This turns a single observation into a deeper understanding of why a problem keeps recurring.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen2-6 h1-2 h30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen3-81-82-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsCurrent Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention IdeasConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge GapsIceberg Worksheet, Pattern Notes, Intervention Ideas
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
Systems thinkingRoot causePatterns
Add more methods