View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  UX Research User Interviews |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|
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. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min per interview | 30-90 min | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1 participant per interview | 2-8 | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tagsno overlap | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
