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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 for Failure Scenario Analysis.
Engineering
Failure Scenario Analysis
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
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.In critical processes, it is not enough to plan only for the normal case. Failure Scenario Analysis looks at the path into failure and shows which failures, chains, and control gaps cause the most damage.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage1-3 h20–45 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
Based on research question3-8Small cross-functional group2-8
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IAFailure Scenarios, Risk Notes, Control Gaps, Test and Response ActionsRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationFindability
FailureResilienceRisk
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
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