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| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Innovation Starbursting |  Innovation Design Charrette |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | Helps clarify ideas, open questions, and testable next steps in concrete terms. It opens the thinking space, collects ideas, and leads to testable options. The result is captured as a star-shaped question map, question list, and assumption list. | In a tightly timed design process with many participants, the method pools several lines of thinking in a short time. It brings parallel design energy without letting the discussion tip into endless coordination. This quickly produces solid directions for architecture or space. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 1-2 Tage | 30-60 min | Halber Tag bis mehrere Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | Based on research question | 3-10 | 10-50 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Star-Shaped Question Map, Question List, Assumption List | Sketches and Concepts, Consolidated Solution Sketch, Prioritized Direction |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | Information architectureNavigationFindability | BrainstormingIdeationWorkshopDiscovery | BrainstormingWorkshopCollaborationIdeation |