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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Card Sorting | ![]() Innovation Brainstorming | ![]() Innovation Contradiction 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 a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 30-60 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-12 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving |
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