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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Diary Study | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Systems Thinking Futures Wheel | ![]() Systems Thinking Rich Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | The Futures Wheel helps explore the consequences of a decision, a trend, or a strategic move in a structured way. It makes visible which first, second, and third-order effects could arise from an event. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 Wochen | 0.5-3 Tage | 60-120 min | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-20 | 5-15 | 3-10 | 2-10 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Futures Wheel, Consequence Chains, Strategic Signals | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes |
Tagsno overlap | UX researchTrackingBehavior | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | ForesightSystems thinkingSignals | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization |



