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| Criterion |  UX Research Usability Testing |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 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 assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h je Session | 1-5 Tage | 45–90 min | 45-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | Nutzertraffic | 3-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Usability Issues, Severity List, Recommendations | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationUXPrototype | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation |