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| Criterion |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Decision Making Red Teaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. | 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. | For strategic decisions with high reach, agreement and gut feeling are often not enough. Red teaming brings deliberate opposition into the situation and tests where a plan breaks under real counterarguments. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Wochen | 0.5-3 Tage | 20–45 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 5-15 | Small cross-functional group | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Challenge Findings, Risk Register, Mitigation Plan |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchObservationContext | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | RiskDecisionSensemaking |