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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Contextual Inquiry | ![]() Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud | ![]() Decision Making Assumption Surfacing | ![]() Systems Thinking Future Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | A Future Reality Tree shows how desired actions are meant to lead to a better system state. The method checks whether a path of change holds together logically before time flows into implementation. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 60-120 min | 45-90 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 2-8 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Future Reality Tree, Negative Branches, Assumption List, Improved Injections |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | Theory of ConstraintsSystems thinkingChange |



