AFFINITY DIAGRAM
BEHAVIORAL | ATTITUDINAL | QUALITATIVE | ADAPTED | GENERATIVE | DESIGN PROCESS
Affinity diagram is a data analysis method to externalize observations and insights in post-it notes and categorize them to gain a whole picture of the problem space.
01 Definition
Affinity diagramming is a process used to externalize and meaningfully cluster observations and insights from research, keeping design teams grounded in data as they design.
---- Universal Methods of Design
The affinity diagram is a business tool used to organize ideas and data. It is one of the Seven Management and Planning Tools. People have been grouping data into groups based on natural relationships for thousands of years; however, the term affinity diagram was devised by Jiro Kawakita in the 1960s and is sometimes referred to as the KJ Method.
---- Wikipedia
02 NATURES
Notes:
- The methodology uses a 'bottom-up' process for building affinity diagrams.
- When? - unknown or unexplored situation; encourage new thinkings
- How?- Generate, display, sort items into categories, create title for categories, draw finished diagram
- Generate: domain analysis “actors”, “place”, “time”, “activity”
- Display: post the items on a wall, a whiteboard, or a table; then randomize them
- Sort them into categories: criteria - place them together in a column off to one side - this process is repeated until places all ideas - “stand-alone” item - create duplicate card and put it in the proper group when some items fit into more than one theme
- Create titles for categories:create short 3-5 word, super-headers, group themes
- Draw finished diagram
Suited Context:
- When analyzing data, researchers want to categorize them and find out the connection and hierarchy within these data. It works well in this case. This method can be used to make sense of data from lab studies, field studies, open-ended questions, brainstorming, diary studies and other methods that produce qualitative data.
03 PROCEDURES
- Go over field notes and write down facts on post-it notes seperately.
- Collect and post post-it notes together on wall/table randomly.
- Sort all notes into groups. Group memebers keep communication to come to an agreement.
- Add classification and subclassification for each group.
- Capture and find out how groups are related to each other.
- Generate concepts based on the big picture of the result.
04 REFLECTION
Limitation
- Some details are relatively unimportant.
- Hard to see things in new way once they’re been sorted
- We didn’t really use our Key Metaphor column in the end.
- Large data sets that were built with post-it notes can be unwieldy to move. (Tip: take photos with a good digital camera and post those in an accessible place.
Strengths:
- Affinity diagramming is a relatively simple method, though good facilitation is required to keep focus when there is a lot of data.
- Quick generative tool
- It's easy to visualize connections of data
- Interactive activity generates good conversation amongst teammates.
- Helps groups come to a consensus about what issues and concerns should be the focus of design activities.
- Insights and concepts were quick and easy after diagramming