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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Empathy MappingRoot Cause AnalysisAffinity Diagramming
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 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 problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | 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 | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30–60 min | 1-4 h | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 4-8 | 3-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | 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 | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |