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Criterion
Paper illustration for Root Cause Tree Analysis
Operations
Root Cause Tree Analysis
Paper illustration of two user profile cards with a goal, behavior evidence, and an open research question.
UX Research
Personas
Paper illustration of two people facing each other, speech bubbles and an open interview notebook.
UX Research
User Interviews
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Purposedifferent
For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie.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.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 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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-3 h1-3 Tage30–60 min per interview45–90 min
Participantsdifferent
2-8Internes Team1 participant per interview3-10
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, CountermeasuresPersona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario NotesInterview Notes, Themes, Insight SummaryTheme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas
Tagsno overlap
Root causeTreeIncidentQuality
ResearchCustomerSynthesis
QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
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