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Criterion
Paper illustration for Trade-off Analysis.
Decision Making
Trade-off Analysis
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Paper illustration of the Lightning Decision Jam working structure.
Facilitation
Decision Jam
Purposedifferent
With limited resources, quality, speed, cost, and risk almost always compete with each other. Trade-off Analysis makes these tensions explicit and prevents decisions from producing hidden side effects.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 decision is stuck, Decision Jam loosens the knot through structured separation of problem, idea, and selection. The format creates movement without jumping prematurely at the first seemingly elegant answer.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLow
Timedifferent
45-120 min45–90 min60-90 min
Participantsdifferent
2-83-104-10
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted DownsidesTheme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasProblem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment
Tagsno overlap
TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop
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Paper illustration of a decision table with criteria rows, weighted ratings, and a narrowly leading alternative.
Decision Making
Decision Matrix
Empathy Mapping
UX Research
Empathy Mapping
Paper illustration for Kepner-Tregoe
Operations
Kepner-Tregoe
Paper matrix with six colored hat cards for information, feeling, value, caution, ideas and process control.
Facilitation
Six Thinking Hats