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| Criterion |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Operations Fishbone Diagram |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Operations Kepner-Tregoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 a disturbance that's hard to pin down, the method cleanly separates problem, cause, and decision. It reduces mixing when symptoms allow several interpretations. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 30-60 min | 20-45 min | 2-8 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | Based on research question | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Fishbone Diagram, Cause Categories, Investigation Backlog | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Problem Analysis, Decision Analysis, Risk Plan |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | Root causeQualityOperations | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Problem solvingRoot causeDecisionOperations |