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| Criterion |  UX Research Usability Testing |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | High | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h je Session | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-10 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationUXPrototype | InnovationPrototypeResearch | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |