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| Criterion |  UX Research Tree Testing |  Innovation Starbursting |  UX Research Card Sorting |  Innovation Brainstorming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. | Helps clarify ideas, open questions, and testable next steps in concrete terms. It opens the thinking space, collects ideas, and leads to testable options. The result is captured as a star-shaped question map, question list, and assumption list. | 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 a team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 30-60 min | 20-45 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-10 | Based on research question | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA | Star-Shaped Question Map, Question List, Assumption List | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationFindability | BrainstormingIdeationWorkshopDiscovery | Information architectureNavigationStructure | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence |