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| Criterion |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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 demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | 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 | Low | High | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-5 Tage | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 4-8 | 4-10 | Nutzertraffic | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | InnovationPrototypeResearch | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |