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| Criterion | ![]() UX Research Card Sorting | ![]() Knowledge Modeling IBIS | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() Facilitation Decision Jam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | 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 a decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-3 h | 15-45 min | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 2-8 | 1-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop |



