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 Diary Study.
UX Research
Diary Study
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Iceberg Model method illustration showing its working structure
Systems Thinking
Iceberg Model
Purposedifferent
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.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.The Iceberg Model separates visible events from patterns, structures, and mental models. This turns a single observation into a deeper understanding of why a problem keeps recurring.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-4 Wochen1-3 Wochen30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
5-204-12 Beobachtungen2-10
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience TimelineField Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsIceberg Worksheet, Pattern Notes, Intervention Ideas
Tagsno overlap
UX researchTrackingBehavior
UX researchObservationContext
Systems thinkingRoot causePatterns
Add more methods

Often compared together

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

Paper illustration for Behavior Over Time Graph.
Systems Thinking
Behavior Over Time Graph
Paper illustration for Current Reality Tree
Systems Thinking
Current Reality Tree
Paper illustration of Family Tree Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Family Tree Analysis
Paper illustration of System Archetypes with its method-specific working model.
Systems Thinking
System Archetypes