View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  UX Research Usability Testing |  UX Research Empathy Mapping |  UX Research Surveys |  Innovation Design Thinking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a topic needs to be validated broadly and many people can answer the same question, surveys gather structured feedback in a scalable form. Answers become comparable and segmentable instead of remaining merely anecdotal. | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h je Session | 30–60 min | 3-14 Tage | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 4-8 | 50+ | 4-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Empathy Map, Assumptions List, Research Gaps | Survey Results, Charts, Segment Insights | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationUXPrototype | SynthesisQualitativeWorkshop | QuantitativeResearchValidation | InnovationPrototypeResearch |