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| Criterion |  Decision Making Trade-off Analysis |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  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 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 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-120 min | 30–60 min | 45–90 min | 60-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 4-8 | 3-10 | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Trade-off Matrix, Criteria List, Decision Rationale, Accepted Downsides | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Problem Cluster, Prioritized Challenge, Experiment |
Tagsno overlap | TradeoffsDecisionCriteriaOptions | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | FacilitationDecisionProblem solvingWorkshop |