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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Design Sprint | ![]() Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology | ![]() Innovation Design Thinking | ![]() Product Discovery Outcome-Driven Innovation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. | 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. | Outcome-Driven Innovation clarifies customer problems, solution opportunities, and evidence. It separates jobs, desired outcomes, importance, satisfaction, and opportunity, and captures results as desired outcome statements, an opportunity landscape, and segments by underserved needs. |
Complexitysame | High | High | High | High |
Timedifferent | 4-5 Tage | 0.5-3 Tage | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | Mehrere Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | 5-8 | 5-15 | 4-10 | 2-6 researchers plus sample |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Desired outcome statements, Opportunity landscape, Segmentation by underserved needs, Innovation hypotheses |
Tagsno overlap | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | InnovationPrototypeResearch | OutcomesInnovationResearchQuantitative |



