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Criterion
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration of the Lightning Decision Jam working structure.
Facilitation
Decision Jam
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Purposedifferent
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 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.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.For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.
Complexitysame
LowLowLowLow
Timedifferent
30–60 min60-90 min45–90 min15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
4-84-103-102-6
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research GapsProblem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, ExperimentTheme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasRoot cause notes, Countermeasures
Tagsno overlap
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
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