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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research First-click Testing | ![]() UX Research Card Sorting | ![]() UX Research Empathy Mapping | ![]() UX Research Usability Testing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When users immediately turn the wrong way on a screen or wireframe, first click testing checks initial orientation at high speed. The first click shows early whether expectation, labeling, and wayfinding fit together. | 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. | 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 a product is built but people get stuck on tasks, usability testing shows the friction at concrete points. Observed use instead of self-report makes visible where orientation, understanding, or interaction breaks down. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 20-45 min | 30–60 min | 1-2 h je Session |
Participantsdifferent | 10-30 | Based on research question | 4-8 | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Click Heatmap, Success Rate, Design Recommendations | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations |
Tagsno overlap | UXNavigationFindabilityValidation | Information architectureNavigationStructure | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ValidationUXPrototype |



