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| Criterion |  Facilitation Mind Mapping |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research User Interviews |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 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 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. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | 30–60 min | 30–60 min per interview | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-10 | 4-8 | 1 participant per interview | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Mind Map, Topic Clusters, Open Questions | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Interview Notes, Themes, Insight Summary | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | QualitativeResearchCustomerDiscovery | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |