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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Facilitation Consensus Workshop |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early. | 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. | When a group needs a solid decision without outvoting individual factions, a Consensus Workshop creates a negotiable common ground. It makes agreement, reservations, and open tensions discussable at the same time. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 45–90 min | 1-3 h | 30–60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 3-10 | 5-30 | 4-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Consensus Clusters, Theme Titles, Priority Areas | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | FacilitationConsensusWorkshopAlignment | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop |