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 of a JTBD interview notebook with a decision timeline, forces of change and a concise job hypothesis.
Product Discovery
Jobs to Be Done
Paper illustration of a branching impact map with a Why goal at the root, actor circles, How behavior changes and What options.
Product Strategy
Impact Mapping
Paper illustration for Diary Study.
UX Research
Diary Study
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 switching motives and progress are unclear, it reconstructs the situation from real customer circumstances. It shows why a switch happens and what kind of progress is being sought.When a goal needs to be connected to several possible paths, it shows chains of impact instead of feature lists. It connects business goal, behavior change, and measures.When experiences build up over days or weeks and a single session cannot capture them, Diary Study records the course of everyday life. Recurring triggers, moods, and habits become visible this way, beyond the sharpness of memory.
Complexitysame
MediumMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-3 Wochen45-90 min1-4 Wochen
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen5-12 Interviews3-85-20
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopAsync
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsJob Stories, Outcome Statements, Opportunity ListImpact Map, Outcome Hypotheses, Delivery OptionsDiary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
CustomerOutcomesNeeds
OutcomesStrategyBehaviorPlanning
UX researchTrackingBehavior
Add more methods