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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  Innovation Brainwriting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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. | When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | When loud voices or hierarchy distort the idea search, the method creates a quiet entry into joint development. It gives everyone thinking space and gathers contributions without social brakes, making diversity more visible and easier to build on. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 30-90 min | 15-45 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | 1-10 | 3-12 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Idea sheets, Expanded concepts, Prioritized list |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | BrainstormingCollaborationInclusionIdeas |