Purpose: Affinity diagrams group ideas or causes into related clusters to make sense of large volumes of information. Creating an affinity diagram using Post-it notes is a hands-on method for organizing ideas, insights, or data into themes or categories. Here are the steps to create one:
- Structure:
- Ideas are written on cards or post-its and then grouped into related categories, with headings added to each group.
- Attempt to look for relationships between individual ideas and have team members simultaneously sort the ideas (without talking) into five to 10 related groupings.
- Repeat until all notes are grouped. It’s okay to have “loners” that don’t seem to fit a group. It is also okay to move a note someone else has already moved.
- If a note seems to belong in two groups, make a second note.
- Tips:
- It is very important that no one talk during this step.
- The focus should be on looking for and grouping related ideas.
- It is also important to call these “groupings.”
- Do not place the notes in any order or determine categories or headings in advance.
- Steps:
1. Define the Problem or Topic
- Start by clearly defining the problem, topic, or question you want to explore.
- This provides focus for the brainstorming session and ensures all ideas are relevant.
2. Gather the Team
- Assemble a group of people who have insights or ideas related to the topic.
- Collaboration works best when multiple perspectives are involved.
3. Brainstorm Ideas
- Have each participant write their ideas, insights, or observations related to the topic on individual Post-it notes.
- One idea per Post-it note.
- There’s no need to group ideas yet; the goal is to generate as many ideas as possible without judgment.
4. Place Post-its on a Tabletop, Wall, or Board
- Once all ideas have been written down, place the Post-its on a visible wall or board. You can just leave them on the table where everyone can get at them easily.
- The layout should be random, without any predefined order.
Sort the Ideas into Groups
- Collaboratively begin to group similar ideas together.
- Move Post-its around based on their relationships.
- Look for common themes, patterns, or connections between the ideas.
- There may be some overlap, but the goal is to find natural groupings.
- There are no predefined categories at this stage, so let the ideas “tell you” what groups exist.
6. Label Each Group
- Once you’ve grouped the ideas, label each cluster with a heading that describes the theme or commonality among the ideas.
- Use a different colored Post-it or marker to write these category labels.
- Categories might represent themes, solutions, root causes, or other relationships depending on your goal.
7. Review and Refine
- (More options on this below)
- Review the affinity diagram with the group. Ensure the grouping makes sense and adjust as needed.
- Discuss the insights gained from the clusters.
- You can also rearrange or further break down categories if needed.
8. Take Action
- After the diagram is complete, decide on the next steps.
- This could involve further analysis, prioritization, or using the themes to guide decision-making.
By physically handling the ideas and collaborating in real time, an affinity diagram created with Post-it notes encourages creativity, helps reveal connections, and organizes information visually.
After the initial brainstorming phase with post-it notes, there are several options besides sorting that you can use to build on the ideas generated. Here are some alternatives:
1. Prioritization
- Voting: Have participants vote for the most important or impactful ideas. This is often done with dot stickers or simply marking the post-its.
- Ranking: Arrange the notes in order of importance, feasibility, or potential impact.
2. Cluster Expansion
- Expanding Ideas: Take each cluster of ideas and further develop or refine them by adding more detailed notes or explanations. This can lead to deeper exploration of certain themes.
- Questioning: Use the “5 Whys” technique or other questioning frameworks to delve deeper into the root causes or details behind each post-it note.
3. Combining Ideas
- Synthesis: Look for ways to combine or merge ideas into more comprehensive solutions or approaches. This can lead to innovative solutions that leverage multiple concepts.
- Mash-ups: Create “idea mash-ups” by combining two unrelated post-its and seeing if the combination sparks any new or creative thoughts.
4. Thematic Labeling
- Labeling Categories: Once the notes are grouped into themes, you can assign labels or titles to each group to summarize the main ideas and better communicate them to the team.
- Mind Mapping: Use the clusters as the base for building a mind map, linking related themes and showing the flow or connection between different ideas.
5. Evaluation
- SWOT Analysis: Evaluate each idea using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to understand its pros and cons.
- Feasibility vs. Impact Matrix: Plot the ideas on a 2×2 matrix, evaluating their feasibility against their potential impact to identify the most promising ones.
6. Prototyping or Testing
- Idea Prototyping: Use the ideas as the basis for creating rough prototypes, sketches, or mock-ups that can be tested or validated.
- Rapid Testing: Test some of the ideas in a low-fidelity manner to see if they hold up in practice or if adjustments are needed.
7. Role-Playing or Scenario Testing
- Role-Playing: Act out how some of the ideas might work in real-life scenarios, considering different stakeholders’ perspectives.
- Scenario Testing: Explore different “what if” scenarios to see how ideas perform under varying conditions or constraints.
These methods help take the initial brainstorming to a deeper level of development, allowing for more strategic decision-making and creative exploration.