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Criterion
Paper illustration for Soft Systems Methodology.
Systems Thinking
Soft Systems Methodology
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
Paper illustration for Opportunity Interview
Product Discovery
Opportunity Interview
Purposedifferent
Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action.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 opportunities are still hidden behind signals of need, it structures conversations around needs and obstacles. It looks for patterns that lead to new product opportunities.
Complexitydifferent
HighMediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
0.5-3 Tage1-3 Tage30–60 min per interview30-60 min je Interview
Participantsdifferent
5-15Internes Team1 participant per interview5-12 Interviews
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change AgendaPersona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario NotesInterview Notes, Themes, Insight SummaryInterview Notes, Opportunity Themes, Customer Quotes
Tagsno overlap
Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking
ResearchCustomerSynthesis
QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery
DiscoveryInterviewsOpportunityCustomer
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