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| Criterion |  UX Research Tree Testing |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Domain Modeling Context Map |  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. | When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | When several contexts need to talk to each other, it makes their relationships and dependencies legible. It helps sort integration pressure and responsibilities across system boundaries. | 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 | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Wochen | 1-3 h | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 2-8 | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Context Map, Integration Patterns, Boundary Notes | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | UX researchObservationContext | Domain-Driven DesignBoundariesStrategy | Information architectureNavigationStructure |