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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  UX Research User Interviews |  Systems Thinking Rich Picture |  Systems Thinking CATWOE Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | A Rich Picture brings an unclear situation onto a shared drawing. It captures actors, tensions, information flows, and blind spots before the team jumps to solutions too early. | CATWOE structures a problem from six viewpoints and prevents too narrow a view of the situation. Different experiences of the system become comparably discussable this way. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 30–60 min per interview | 30-90 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 1 participant per interview | 2-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Rich Picture, Problem Framing Notes | CATWOE Canvas, Root Definition, Stakeholder Perspectives, Constraints |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | Systems thinkingSoft systemsFramingVisualization | Systems thinkingFramingStakeholders |