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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration for Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping
Decision Tree method illustration showing its working structure
Decision Making
Decision 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.Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable.For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch.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.
Complexitysame
MediumMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-3 h30-90 min1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen3-121-61-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsKnowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer PlanDecision Tree, Option Map, Assumption ListConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
KnowledgeMappingRisk
DecisionTreeOptions
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
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