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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 45-90 min | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-10 | 2-8 | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | InnovationPrototypeResearch | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |