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| Criterion |  UX Research Tree Testing |  UX Research Diary Study |  UX Research HEART Framework |  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 experiences build up over days or weeks and a single session cannot capture them, Diary Study records the course of everyday life. Recurring triggers, moods, and habits become visible this way, beyond the sharpness of memory. | Helps clarify observations, needs, and patterns in concrete terms. It groups observations into patterns, questions, and decisions. The result is captured as a HEART-GSM table and dashboard. | 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 | 1-4 Wochen | 120 min initial, dann laufend | 20-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 5-20 | 3-6 | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Diary Entries, Longitudinal Patterns, Experience Timeline | HEART-GSM Table, Dashboard | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | UX researchTrackingBehavior | MetricsUX researchMeasurementSatisfaction | Information architectureNavigationStructure |