View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
Selected:Customer Journey MappingSAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Alignment MappingMcKinsey 7S
| Criterion |  UX Research Customer Journey Mapping |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Business Strategy McKinsey 7S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a user journey falls apart across many touchpoints, customer journey mapping makes the experience visible as a coherent arc. Phases, emotions, and breaks become legible enough to prioritize critical moments deliberately. | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | McKinsey 7S checks whether Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, and Staff fit together. Organizational misalignments become visible across multiple levers as a result. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 2-4 h | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 1-2 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-12 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Journey Map, Pain-point List, Opportunity Backlog | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | 7S Assessment, Alignment Gaps, Change Actions |
Tagsno overlap | JourneyServiceService design | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | OrganizationStrategyAlignmentChange |