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Criterion
Paper mind map with a central course onboarding question, colored main branches, keywords and cross-links.
Facilitation
Mind Mapping
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Paper illustration for Opportunity Interview
Product Discovery
Opportunity Interview
Empathy Mapping
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 opportunities are still hidden behind signals of need, it structures conversations around needs and obstacles. It looks for patterns that lead to new product opportunities.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
LowLowMediumLow
Timedifferent
15-45 min45–90 min30-60 min je Interview30–60 min
Participantsdifferent
1-103-105-12 Interviews4-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open QuestionsTheme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasInterview Notes, Opportunity Themes, Customer QuotesEmpathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps
Tagsno overlap
BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
DiscoveryInterviewsOpportunityCustomer
SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop
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