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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Affinity Diagramming | ![]() Facilitation Alignment Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Storytelling | ![]() Facilitation Stakeholder Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | When an insight needs to have an effect, storytelling translates dry facts into a comprehensible development. It combines context, tension, and consequence into a form that people remember and pass on more easily. | When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-2 h | 45-120 min | 60–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-12 | 1-6 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Narrative Outline, Key Message, Story Arc | Stakeholder Map, Engagement Plan, Risk Notes |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | CommunicationNarrativeStakeholdersFacilitation | StakeholdersAlignmentFacilitationChange |



