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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  UX Research First-click Testing |  UX Research Tree Testing |  UX Research Card Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 users immediately turn the wrong way on a screen or wireframe, first click testing checks initial orientation at high speed. The first click shows early whether expectation, labeling, and wayfinding fit together. | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 1-2 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 10-30 | Based on research question | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Click Heatmap, Success Rate, Design Recommendations | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | UXNavigationFindabilityValidation | Information architectureNavigationFindability | Information architectureNavigationStructure |