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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Diary Study | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis | ![]() Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree | ![]() Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | 2-6 h | 2-6 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 5-20 | 3-8 | 3-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchTrackingBehavior | RiskRoot causeSafety | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics |



