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| Criterion |  UX Research Tree Testing |  UX Research Usability Testing |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Product Discovery Fake Door Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 product is built but people get stuck on tasks, usability testing shows the friction at concrete points. Observed use instead of self-report makes visible where orientation, understanding, or interaction breaks down. | When demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | When demand is still unclear, it measures interest in a feature before it is built. It separates real behavior from polite agreement and deliberately keeps build effort small. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-2 h je Session | 1-5 Tage | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | Based on research question | Nutzertraffic | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | ValidationUXPrototype | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |