Affinity Diagramming: A Beginner’s Guide

Brainstorming sessions can be fun and enlightening, but their true value lies in what you do with the collection of diverse ideas and data.

An affinity diagram is one way to organize the output of your brainstorming session into related concepts and action steps. Instead of a huge board of seemingly random thoughts, you’ll have themes, priorities, goals and next steps.

Affinity diagramming has applications in various fields, such as user experience (UX) design, project management, and research. Really, any team looking to generate, organize and consolidate information on a good or service can benefit from the practice.

This post outlines the process of affinity diagramming, tools and techniques for your team to explore and some real-world application and guidance. Get ready to master a methodology for solving complex problems and prioritizing tasks in personal and professional projects.

What is an Affinity Diagram?

Also called affinity mapping or charting, affinity diagramming is a method for organizing large amounts of data and identifying common themes. Teams typically use it in professional settings to tackle complex projects and define aspects of strategy.

The affinity diagram itself is a collection of ideas on a particular topic. The team creates the ideas, organizes them into similar ideas and distills the groupings into actionable steps.

Affinity mapping was developed by Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita in the 1960s to organize his data on the mountain regions of Nepal. The process is often called the KJ method in honor of its creator.

The Affinity Diagramming Process

Multiple versions of the affinity diagram process exist, though it generally involves three to five steps. You won’t need many materials or much space, though it’s important to involve all team members and stakeholders for a diverse, thorough collection of thoughts.

While meeting in person provides the advantage of face-to-face conversation and a large, physical diagram, plenty of digital options exist for remote teams.

Step 1: Gather Data

Gathering the right data begins with gathering the right people. Invite any team member who will touch the project and consider involving the client or supplier.

Ask everyone to gather physically or in a digital space. Remind the group of the topic or project beforehand, suggesting they think of a few ideas to bring to the process. Creating lists of information could be useful at this stage, or you might decide to start with sticky notes.

Step 2: Write Down Ideas on Sticky Notes

When the team is gathered, it’s time to brainstorm. If your process allows, hand out pads of sticky notes and markers, perhaps with a range of color options. At the front, have a large board or wall space for the diagram itself.

Instruct participants to record ideas, questions, data, and any other relevant information on sticky notes. Only one piece of info per note, and written clearly enough to be seen by the whole group. Anticipate around 50 pieces of paper, though some groups go well over 100.

The idea is to quickly get lots of sticky notes on the board, so discourage over-analyzing and encourage rapid-fire production. Set a time limit for the near future–perhaps five to 15 minutes, depending on the group size and project complexity.

Step 3: Group Similar Ideas

Without talking, the entire team should group ideas into five to 10 literal clusters. The clusters contain similar ideas or related concepts, though it’s alright if some sticky notes don’t fit anywhere or if they go into more than one category (make a duplicate, if needed).

It’s alright to respectfully move a paper someone has already grouped. Don’t discuss disagreements at this point (still no talking), but remind the group that nothing is set in stone.

Don’t provide category ideas beforehand, as this is meant to be a very organic process. After every sticky note has a place, categories will begin to emerge on their own.

Step 4: Identify Common Themes

Now the talking can begin. Start naming common themes you see, getting everyone involved in the discussion. This is when you can address confusing or controversial ideas, and bring in the larger context of company goals or challenges.

As you discuss the what, when, who, how and why of emerging patterns, continue moving sticky notes between clusters until the group reaches a consensus. It’s fine if some groups are much smaller than others.

If you hit a wall, suggest grouping ideas according to some guidelines. For example, have groupings for financial matters, strategy and creative. Or, for specific projects, divide things into stages like research, features and testing.

Step 5: Create Headings for Groups

Once everyone is comfortable with the groups of ideas, give headings to the clusters of sticky notes. The heading might come from one of the ideas themselves, or be more like a summary of the cluster.

Depending on your goals for the organization or project, you could order the groupings by priority or assign them to various teams. It might be helpful to take a vote, or present the information to a consultant for further advice.

Tools and Techniques for Affinity Diagramming

The tools and techniques you need depend on whether you’re meeting in person or online. In either case, you don’t need much to create an effective affinity diagram.

In a physical setting, you’ll need:

A large, wall-mounted whiteboard
Several pads of sticky notes (consider different colors for color-coded organization)
Marker pens
Extra paper for cluster headings
Dry erase markers

In a virtual setting, you’ll need:

Virtual sticky notes, such as Miro, Lucidchart or SmartDraw
Plans and communication on timeframes for using the digital tools

Wherever your brainstorming session happens, set the stage for openness to all participants and ideas. Encourage people to think outside the box and share ideas that seem unconventional.

Applications in UX Design and Research

Affinity diagramming is used in UX design and research to organize qualitative data from user interviews and usability testing. From the initial research to the finishing touches of design refinement, the practice helps teams quickly organize and strategize.

For example, affinity diagrams can help identify pain points and prioritize design solutions with:

Data from testing groups
Stats on load times
Best practice reminders
Aesthetic ideas
Group votes on next steps

Affinity diagramming also plays a role in design thinking and the ideation process. If you use design thinking to frame UX research, employ affinity diagramming as your team defines user problems and brainstorms solutions.

Affinity Diagram Examples

For a real-world affinity diagram example, imagine your organization needs a new website to enhance branding and improve ranking and traffic. Rather than immediately tasking the design and development teams to begin, you gather the entire staff for an affinity mapping session.

Offer some prompts, such as:

Data on the current site
Feedback from customers
Thoughts on aesthetics
Ideas for improved navigation
Analyze the checkout process
Attention to tech support and customer service

Once everyone’s posted ideas onto sticky notes, organize them into clusters, perhaps for:

Branding update
Improved navigation
Seamless checkout
Support enhancements

You might ask individuals to vote for top priorities, or suggest action steps based on the cluster headings. Moving forward, you can use the affinity map as a guide as you test the new site and various features, eventually defining what makes the site perform better.

Beyond that, affinity diagrams support related groups in your organization. As members discuss problem-solving ideas and develop strategies, they focus on connection and group consensus, strengthening the team and, ultimately, working better together.

Tips for Effective Affinity Diagramming

While the process is relatively straightforward, human interactions never go exactly to script. Check out these practical tips for conducting successful affinity diagramming sessions.

Choose a Facilitator

Have someone from your organization, or a third-party professional, oversee the process. This isn’t about critiquing the conversation itself, but ensuring that it moves in a productive direction.

Set Clear Objectives

Before anything else, people need to know the affinity diagram's ultimate purpose. Is it for a new product, to address a specific consumer pain point or for more efficient workflows?

Create a Comfortable Brainstorming Environment

Help participants think creatively with an inspiring space. Seating options, windows, art, coffee and non-abrasive lighting can all help them relax into creativity.

Encourage Participation From All Team Members

Anyone connected to the project likely has something to contribute. Don’t dismiss the input of less experienced individuals, and set a tone that values unconventional thinking.

Categorize Data Points

Look for keywords and patterns within the clusters as you’re deciding how to categorize and prioritize them. Don’t get too granular, but be open to subcategories if needed.

Use Affinity Diagrams as Planning Tools

Remember that the affinity diagram isn’t the project–it’s a tool. It’s not going to be perfect, but if done well, it should be referenced regularly as you refine your strategy.

Creating an Affinity Diagram Template

You can create reusable affinity diagram templates for consistent use across projects. Certain software programs offer existing templates, but you can also create your own for efficiency and standardization.

For example, say you need an affinity diagram template for marketing project management. Ideally, you’ll be able to use it before each new project to quickly determine who’s doing what.

Since it’s a template, determine general categories first, such as:

Timelines
Client communication
Deliverables
Key features

With the major categories defined, team members can fill in the details and tweak for specific items. Some projects might need additional categories for video and social media, while others scale down for clients with few deliverables.

Integrating Affinity Diagramming with Other Methods

Affinity diagramming can be combined with other methodologies, such as effect diagrams and user experience mapping. These integrated approaches let you dig deeper into certain concepts and explore them from different angles.

An effect diagram looks at possible causes of a specific effect, such as reduced user satisfaction or low site traffic. User experience mapping tells the story of a customer’s relationship with the organization over time and from their perspective.

Both include comprehensive research findings that, when integrated with affinity diagrams, influence UX teams’ workflows and get you that much closer to what your users truly want and need.

Key Takeaways

Affinity diagramming is a brainstorming and planning methodology that can address idea organization, complex problems, project management and much more. Teams may do it in person or remotely, customizing the process for their specific structure and goals.

The affinity diagram process is ideal for getting several people involved in ideating and strategizing, fostering fresh insight and unconventional thinking. Try it out in your own projects and workflow to improve efficiency and product quality.

Skillshare offers a range of classes on UX careers and methodologies, including:

Affinity mapping can be part of any stage of UX or other projects, helping teams define, prioritize and assign their work. Staying creative, flexible, and open-minded will help your organization use affinity mapping to its greatest potential.

Written By

Katie Mitchell

Katie lives in Michigan with her husband, kids and pets. She enjoys cooking, travel and live music.