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Criterion
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Paper illustration of two people facing each other, speech bubbles and an open interview notebook.
UX Research
User Interviews
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.With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.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.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLow
Timedifferent
30–60 min45-120 min30–60 min per interview
Participantsdifferent
4-82-81 participant per interview
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research GapsTrade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted DownsidesInterview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary
Tagsno overlap
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing