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How to do affinity diagraming
It's really quite simple. The following five steps are a good indication:
- Step 1: Generate ideas
These ideas (and we're including facts, descriptions, issues, concepts, observations etc under the rubric of the term "idea") may come from a brainstorm of some kind, a qualitative data capture exercise such as contextual inquiry, or some other route. The rest of the steps in the affinity process will be easier if these ideas are written on Post-its
- Step 2: Display ideas
Stick the ideas on a window - wall, chart, table or other flat surface - in a wholly random manner. If you can't fit all of the ideas, find a bigger surface!
- Step 3: Sort ideas into related groups
The team members physically sort the cards into groupings, without talking, using the following iterative process:
- Start by looking for two ideas that seem related in some way. Place them together in a column off to one side
- Look for ideas that are related to those you've already set aside and add them to that group
- Look for other ideas that are related to each other and establish new groups
This process is repeated until the team has placed all of the ideas in groups. Not all of the ideas can be sorted into related groups. If there are some "loners" that don't fit any of the groups, don't force them into groupings where they don't really belong. Let them stand alone under their own headers. Try not to think too carefully about the first placement, but be sensitive to groupings that seem to make sense. Allow your eyes to rove over the emerging groupings: keep looking for patterns
- Step 4: Create header cards
A header is an idea that captures the essential link among the ideas contained in a group of cards. This idea is written on a single card or Post-it and must consist of a phrase or sentence that clearly conveys the meaning, even to people who are not on the team. The team develops headers for the groups by:
- Finding already existing cards within the groups that will serve well as headers and placing them at the top of the group of related cards
- Alternatively, discussing and agreeing on the wording of cards created specifically to be headers
- Discovering a relationship among two or more groups and arranging them in columns under a "super-header". The same rules apply for super-headers as for regular header cards
- Step 5: Draw finished diagram
Write a problem statement at the top of the diagram. Place header and super-header cards above the groups of ideas. Review and clarify the ideas and groupings. Document the finished affinity diagram.
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Who should use affinity diagramming?
Affinity diagramming can be used by an individual, but is often performed by a group or a team. In the group setting, the idea is to meld the perspectives, opinions, and insights of a group of people who are knowledgeable about the issues. The process of developing an Affinity Diagram seems to work best when there are no more than five or six participants.
Feature of affinity diagramming
These are some of the unique features of the Affinity process that are important to its success:
- Work silently - the most effective way to work is to have everyone move the displayed ideas at will, without talking. This is a new experience for many people. It has two positive results: It encourages unconventional thinking (which is good), while it discourages semantic battles (which are bad). It also helps prevent one person from steering the Affinity.
- Go for gut reactions - encourage team members not to agonize over sorting but to react quickly to what they see. Speed rather than deliberation is the order of the day, so keep the process moving.
- Handle disagreements simply - the process provides a simple way to handle disagreements over the placement of ideas: If a team member doesn't like where an idea is grouped, he or she moves it. Or duplicates it. The point is to help foster an environment in which it is okay to disagree with people having a different viewpoint. If consensus cannot be reached, make a duplicate of the idea and place one copy in each group.
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