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| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  UX Research User Interviews |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |  Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 30–60 min per interview | 1-2 h | 1-3 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1 participant per interview | 1-8 | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking | KnowledgeMappingRisk |