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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Mind Mapping | ![]() UX Research Card Sorting | ![]() Innovation Brainwriting | ![]() Facilitation Nominal Group Technique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | When loud voices or hierarchy distort the idea search, the method creates a quiet entry into joint development. It gives everyone thinking space and gathers contributions without social brakes, making diversity more visible and easier to build on. | When loud voices could dominate a round, Nominal Group Technique protects individual thinking time from group effects. It collects ideas separately first and only then enables shared weighting. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 20-45 min | 15-30 min | 60-120 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | Based on research question | 3-12 | 5-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Idea sheets, Expanded concepts, Prioritized list | Ranked Ideas, Clarified Options, Group Priority |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | Information architectureNavigationStructure | BrainstormingCollaborationInclusionIdeas | FacilitationPrioritizationVotingInclusion |



