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| Criterion |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Decision Making Delphi Method |  UX Research Card Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | When knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 45-90 min | 1-4 Wochen | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | 6-30 Experten | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | Information architectureNavigationStructure |