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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | 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. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 45–90 min | 30–60 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-10 | 4-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | Root causeSafetyIncident |