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| Criterion |  UX Research Usability Testing |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a product is built but people get stuck on tasks, usability testing shows the friction at concrete points. Observed use instead of self-report makes visible where orientation, understanding, or interaction breaks down. | 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 demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h je Session | 45–90 min | 1-5 Tage | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 3-10 | Nutzertraffic | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationUXPrototype | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |