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Criterion
Paper illustration showing three sorted card stacks and an open question about a possible group.
UX Research
Card Sorting
A paper-based illustration representing Brainstorming with its core stages and visible working result.
Innovation
Brainstorming
Paper illustration for Contradiction Analysis.
Innovation
Contradiction Analysis
Paper illustration for TRIZ
Innovation
TRIZ
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.For technical contradictions or trade-offs, the method looks for solutions that resolve opposing requirements at the same time. It translates limits into an explicit picture of conflict that becomes workable. This produces not just compromises but more elegant principles.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMediumHigh
Timedifferent
20-45 min30-60 min60-120 min1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
Based on research question4-122-82-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Content groups, Label set, IA hypothesesIdea pool, Theme clusters, ShortlistContradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept IdeasContradiction Statement, Inventive Principles, Solution Concepts
Tagsno overlap
Information architectureNavigationStructure
BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence
ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving
InnovationProblem solvingContradictionsCreativity
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