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Selected:Usability TestingRoot Cause AnalysisATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  UX Research Usability Testing |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. | 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. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h je Session | 1-4 h | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-8 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationUXPrototype | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |