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| Criterion |  UX Research Diary Study |  Innovation Design Sprint |  UX Research Tree Testing |  UX Research Card Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | 4-5 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-20 | 5-8 | Based on research question | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchTrackingBehavior | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | Information architectureNavigationFindability | Information architectureNavigationStructure |