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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Tree Testing | ![]() Operations Fishbone Diagram | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Operations Failure Mode and Effects 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 a problem has several possible contributing factors, the method sorts causes by cause areas. It prevents an initial hunch from blocking the view of other plausible drivers. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 30-60 min | 1-2 Tage | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | 1-4 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | Root causeQualityOperations | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |



