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Criterion
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration for Constraint Analysis.
Decision Making
Constraint Analysis
Purposedifferent
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 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 an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped.
Complexitysame
LowLowLow
Timedifferent
45-90 min30–60 min30-90 min
Participantsdifferent
2-84-82-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning PlanEmpathy Map, Assumptions List, Research GapsConstraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries
Tagsno overlap
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions
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A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Paper illustration of a calm four-quadrant Assumption Map with hypothesis cards and emphasis on important assumptions with little evidence.
Product Discovery
Assumption Mapping
Paper illustration of the Lightning Decision Jam working structure.
Facilitation
Decision Jam