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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research User Interviews |  Innovation Starbursting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | 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. | Helps clarify ideas, open questions, and testable next steps in concrete terms. It opens the thinking space, collects ideas, and leads to testable options. The result is captured as a star-shaped question map, question list, and assumption list. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 30–60 min | 30–60 min per interview | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | 4-8 | 1 participant per interview | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Star-Shaped Question Map, Question List, Assumption List |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | BrainstormingIdeationWorkshopDiscovery |