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Selected:Fishbone DiagramAffinity DiagrammingCustomer Journey CanvasFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Design Customer Journey Canvas |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | When a journey needs to be understood across several phases, it arranges experience, touchpoints, and opportunities into one picture. It makes gaps and friction along the user path clear. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 45–90 min | 1-3 h | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-10 | 3-10 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Customer Journey Canvas, Pain Points, Experience Opportunities | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Root causeQualityOperations | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | JourneyCustomerService designCanvas | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |