Technique

The technique was invented by Jiro Kawakita in 1967 and is also known as KJ-method.

The main purposes of the Affinity Diagram technique are to:

• Organize complex information into clear categories.
• Highlight relationships and themes within the data.
• Foster collaboration and collective understanding among team members.
• Identify key insights and areas for further exploration.

Facilitation

1. Gather Data: Collect all the information you need to analyze. This could be notes from user interviews, brainstorming ideas, survey responses, or other qualitative data. Write each piece of information on individual sticky notes or cards.
2. Display the Data: Place all the sticky notes or cards on a large, flat surface like a wall or table. This allows everyone to see all the information at once.
3. Sort into Groups: Without talking, team members silently sort the sticky notes into groups based on perceived relationships. The goal is to create clusters of related items. Continue sorting until all notes are grouped. There may be some debate or re-sorting as new patterns emerge.
4. Label Groups: Once the groups are formed, discuss and agree on a label for each cluster. These labels should capture the essence of the group’s content. Write the labels on separate sticky notes and place them above or beside the corresponding clusters.
5. Analyze and Synthesize: Review the grouped data and discuss the insights and patterns that have emerged. Identify key themes, trends, and any gaps in the information.

Use these insights to inform decision-making, develop new ideas, or plan next steps.

In case you need to be fast, the facilitator can also quickly group the cards. In this case you go idea by idea and group them to categories. For each category you confirm with the group the correct label.