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| Criterion |  UX Research User Interviews |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Systems Thinking Current Reality Tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When teams derive needs only from assumptions and real motives are missing, user interviews give direct access to behavior and meaning. Conversations from the target group's everyday life make patterns, tensions, and open questions solidly visible. | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | A Current Reality Tree condenses many symptoms into a few causal chains. The method makes visible which core problems drive several negative effects at once. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min per interview | 1-3 h | 45–90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1 participant per interview | 2-8 | 3-10 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Current Reality Tree, Core Problems, Intervention Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | Systems thinkingRoot causeConstraintsCausality |