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| Criterion |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research Usability Testing |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 product is built but people get stuck on tasks, usability testing shows the friction at concrete points. Observed use instead of self-report makes visible where orientation, understanding, or interaction breaks down. | 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 assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30–60 min | 1-2 h je Session | 1-5 Tage | 45-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-8 | Based on research question | Nutzertraffic | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking |
Tagsno overlap | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | ValidationUXPrototype | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation |