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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Thinking |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research User Interviews |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 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 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 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 30–60 min | 30–60 min per interview | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 4-8 | 1 participant per interview | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |