View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Innovation Design Thinking |  UX Research User Interviews |  Product Discovery Opportunity Interview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | 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. | When opportunities are still hidden behind signals of need, it structures conversations around needs and obstacles. It looks for patterns that lead to new product opportunities. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 30–60 min per interview | 30-60 min je Interview |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-10 | 1 participant per interview | 5-12 Interviews |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Interview Notes, Opportunity Themes, Customer Quotes |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | InnovationPrototypeResearch | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | DiscoveryInterviewsOpportunityCustomer |