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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Diary Study | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | 30-90 min | 1-4 h | 0.5-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 5-20 | 2-10 | 1-5 | 5-15 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchTrackingBehavior | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking |



