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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
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
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.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.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
MediumLowLow
Timedifferent
1-2 Tage20–45 min20-45 min
Participantsdifferent
Based on research questionSmall cross-functional groupBased on research question
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IARisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logContent groups, Label set, IA hypotheses
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationFindability
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
Information architectureNavigationStructure
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Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Paper illustration for Failure Scenario Analysis.
Engineering
Failure Scenario Analysis
First-click Testing method illustration showing its working structure
UX Research
First-click Testing