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| Criterion |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research Usability Testing |  UX Research Surveys |  Innovation Design Thinking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 product is built but people get stuck on tasks, usability testing shows the friction at concrete points. Observed use instead of self-report makes visible where orientation, understanding, or interaction breaks down. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 45–90 min | 1-2 h je Session | 3-14 Tage | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 3-10 | Based on research question | 50+ | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Survey Results, Charts, Segment Insights | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | ValidationUXPrototype | QuantitativeResearchValidation | InnovationPrototypeResearch |