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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Innovation Design Thinking |  UX Research Surveys |  UX Research Empathy 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. | 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. | When a topic needs to be validated broadly and many people can answer the same question, surveys gather structured feedback in a scalable form. Answers become comparable and segmentable instead of remaining merely anecdotal. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 3-14 Tage | 30–60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-10 | 50+ | 4-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Survey Results, Charts, Segment Insights | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | InnovationPrototypeResearch | QuantitativeResearchValidation | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop |