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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling IBIS |  UX Research User Interviews |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | IBIS structures thinking about complex questions as a sequence of issues, ideas, and arguments. The method keeps discussions open without forcing them into premature consensus. | 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 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. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 30–60 min per interview | 30–60 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1 participant per interview | 4-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Issue Map, Positions, Argument Notes | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | RationaleKnowledgeDecision | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |