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| Criterion |  UX Research Usability Testing |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h je Session | 30–60 min | 45-60 min | 45–90 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationUXPrototype | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause |