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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 of two user profile cards with a goal, behavior evidence, and an open research question.
UX Research
Personas
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
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 target groups stay too vague and teams talk about the same people differently, personas create a shared, solid picture of usage. Condensed profiles make needs, contexts, and differences tangible enough for decisions.When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing.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
MediumMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage1-3 Tage30–60 min20-45 min
Participantsdifferent
Based on research questionInternes Team4-8Based on research question
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IAPersona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario NotesEmpathy Map, Assumptions List, Research GapsContent groups, Label set, IA hypotheses
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationFindability
ResearchCustomerSynthesis
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
Information architectureNavigationStructure
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