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| Criterion | ![]() Operations Fault Tree Analysis | ![]() UX Research User Interviews | ![]() UX Research Empathy Mapping | ![]() UX Research Personas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | When target groups stay too vague and teams talk about the same people differently, personas create a shared, solid picture of usage. Condensed profiles make needs, contexts, and differences tangible enough for decisions. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-6 h | 30–60 min per interview | 30–60 min | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 3-8 | 1 participant per interview | 4-8 | Internes Team |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Persona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario Notes |
Tagsno overlap | RiskRoot causeSafety | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ResearchCustomerSynthesis |



