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 Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
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.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-3 h20–45 min
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen3-12Small cross-functional group
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsKnowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer PlanRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
KnowledgeMappingRisk
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
Add more methods

Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Paper illustration for Failure Scenario Analysis.
Engineering
Failure Scenario Analysis