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Criterion
Paper illustration of a branching category tree with a highlighted search path and possible dead ends.
UX Research
Tree Testing
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
UX Research
Card Sorting
Decision Tree method illustration showing its working structure
Decision Making
Decision Tree
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
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.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.For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch.When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMediumLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage20-45 min30-90 min30-90 min
Participantsdifferent
Based on research questionBased on research question1-62-8
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IAContent groups, Label set, IA hypothesesDecision Tree, Option Map, Assumption ListConstraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationFindability
Information architectureNavigationStructure
DecisionTreeOptions
ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions
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