Affinity Diagram
What is an Affinity Diagram?
An affinity diagram, also known as the KJ method, is a visual organizational tool used to sort a large number of ideas into smaller, related groups. It helps in identifying relationships among ideas, making it easier to organize and consolidate information, especially during brainstorming sessions. This technique is valuable for breaking down complex information into manageable sections, enhancing clarity and collaboration among team members.
The Basic Idea
Imagine you’re shopping at a grocery store. You work your way through the aisles with your shopping list, picking up chicken breasts in the meat department, lettuce in the produce section, followed by some Cheerios in the breakfast foods. Next on your list is ground beef. Now you have to go back to the meat department, wasting time going back and forth between opposite ends of the store.1
Looking back, if you had originally organized your shopping list into categories, you would have been a more efficient shopper. An affinity diagram would help you do just that!
Affinity diagrams are visual representations that break down complex information into discrete elements, demonstrating connections between pieces of information. A basic affinity diagram might have one layer—for example, breaking down your shopping list by department. However, affinity diagrams can be more complex and include a hierarchy—such as first breaking down your shopping list by department, and then by aisle.
Here are the steps to create an affinity diagram, usually leveraged during a brainstorming session:2
- Identify the issue or problem you are looking to solve with your team: Before you dive into brainstorming, it is important that everyone is aligned on the goal of the exercise.
- Record each idea on a sticky note or card: It is important to allow ideas to flow loosely at this stage to promote creative and innovative ideas.
- Look for ideas that seem relevant for categorizing: Team members can simultaneously sort ideas independently and silently, allowing for multiple perspectives to be openly shared afterward.
- Achieve consensus on the groupings: There may be differing opinions about which category an idea goes into. Use this step to discuss as a team and come to a resolution. There may be some notes that do not intuitively fit into a group—these can be left to the side for now.
- Create header cards for each grouping: Determine a keyword or phrase that summarizes the ideas in each group.
Here’s an example of an affinity diagram for a team trying to improve their user experience on their company’s website:
“The art of creating an affinity diagram will allow you to distill the patterns and useful insights from the many individual quotes and data points you gather through interviews and observations.”
– Erika Hall, design consultant, in her book Just Enough Research3
About the Author
Emilie Rose Jones
Emilie currently works in Marketing & Communications for a non-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario. She completed her Masters of English Literature at UBC in 2021, where she focused on Indigenous and Canadian Literature. Emilie has a passion for writing and behavioural psychology and is always looking for opportunities to make knowledge more accessible.
