Affinity Diagrams ITM 734 Fall 2006 Corritore

2 Affinity diagrams Brings issues and insights about customers/users together  Fastest and best way Affinity wall a communication tool to stimulate design thinking Work bottom-up  Group individual notes, then group these groups, then these, then these  Of course use colored post-its!

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4 Affinity diagram Let the data indicate the groupings and the labels for the groups Use voice of the customer (I do this…) Important to retain individual variation Then walk the diagram and get design ideas from it

5 Affinity diagram Many ways to build the diagram – purpose is to push your understanding of user and key distinctions Look at data (note) and think “what is the point really about?”

6 Step 1: the notes & the process Print out the notes  Two copies – one Word doc for reference, one to post Print out copy of user profiles Mix up the notes (so everyone gets some from variety of users) Stack notes in groups of about 20 Identify moderator

7 Step 1: the notes & the process Everyone gets 20 notes to start Moderator leads teams through process  Get this first set up on the wall in natural groupings  Then do it individually  Then label blue in ‘I’ language  Then label pink, then green (abstract)

8 Step 2: posting notes Start with the team – read a note that is not a question nor design idea and start a column Ask if anyone has one that fits in that column – read aloud and post Add columns as needed Goal – 3-6 notes in each column (don’t want to lose distinctions) Repeat until all are posted  If add new column, shout it out so others know  Try not to start new columns – push to fill 1-2 note columns Big finish – set a deadline – hurry up

9 Step 2: posting notes Rules:  Allowed to move notes without discussion/argument  Note can only go in one column  Fit in questions and design ideas  Have pile of ‘don’t fit’ notes – try later  Junk category – eg. demographics  Split notes with more than one idea on them

10 Step 3: blue notes Break up into pairs of team members Start labeling longest columns  Goal is columns with 2-6 notes  Consider how to break up long columns Blue notes tell you what matters in the groupings below – characterize user and identify issues important for design  Shouldn’t have to read notes below  ‘I’ Examples pg. 171 (good) pg. 172 (bad)

11 Step 4: temporary greens Walk the wall and identify initial themes  These are starting greens  Big steps in the process, communication strategies, how tools used, etc. Goal: 4-6 green labels in diagram Move blues under their greens Each people pair gets a green grouping to work with

12 Step 5: organizing greens Each pair restructures Blue labels under their Green to  Eliminate redundancies  Have Blues that are 2-6 notes long Write final Blue labels Create Pink categories by grouping like Blues (2-6 per category)  Tells you what matters in Blues below it  Examples pg. 175 Group Pinks under the Green (5-8)  Write final Green label  Examples pg. 177  Not ‘I’

13 Rolling in new data Can do this in two passes  See missing data, make sure to get  Adjust interviews Add to diagram Adjust, clean up, re-organize as needed

14 Remember … … your goal is to create new distinctions If columns/groups too big, burying these distinctions!