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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Sprint |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. | When a lot is assumed about a target group but little is seen jointly, empathy mapping makes knowledge and gaps directly comparable. The picture also shows which assumptions hold up and where evidence is missing. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 4-5 Tage | 30–60 min | 45-60 min | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 5-8 | 4-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |