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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Facilitation Decision Jam |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | When a decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-3 h | 60-90 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 1-8 | 4-10 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | SensemakingDecisionRationale | FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |