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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  UX Research User Interviews |  UX Research Personas |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 30–60 min per interview | 1-3 Tage | 30–60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 1 participant per interview | Internes Team | 4-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Persona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario Notes | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ResearchCustomerSynthesis | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop |