methodatlas
Compare

View methods side by side.

Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.

Criterion
Paper illustration of two user profile cards with a goal, behavior evidence, and an open research question.
UX Research
Personas
Paper illustration for Fault Tree Analysis.
Operations
Fault Tree Analysis
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration of Barrier Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Barrier Analysis
Purposedifferent
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.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 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.For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Tage2-6 h30–60 min2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
Internes Team3-84-82-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Persona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario NotesFault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control ActionsEmpathy Map, Assumptions List, Research GapsBarrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog
Tagsno overlap
ResearchCustomerSynthesis
RiskRoot causeSafety
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
Root causeSafetyIncident
Add more methods