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Learn how to create an _affinity diagram_ to generate ideas and prioritize the next steps in the design process.
Definitions
- Affinity diagram: A technique for analyzing qualitative user research data where observations are written on notes and sorted into groups.
Resources
- Evans, W. (2013). Introduction to Design Studio Method. TLCLabs.
- Klocek, S. (2011). Better together; the practice of successful creative collaboration. Cooper Journal.
- Gothelf, J. (2013). Lean UX. O’Reilly: Sebastopol, CA.
- Lindstrom, J. (2011). Design Studios: The Good, the Bad, and the Science. UX Booth.
- Warfel, T.Z. (2012). The Design Studio Method. Agile UX NYC 2012.
- Office supplies for a design studio
- The KJ Technique: A group process for establishing priorities, by Jared Spool.
- Creating an Affinity Diagram Sophie Brenny and Freek de Bruijn
- Using Affinity Diagrams Arizona Public Health Training Center
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The most interesting and popular technique for analyzing qualitative user
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research data is called an Affinity Diagram, also known as Affinity Mapping.
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It's based on the KJ Technique developed by the Japanese
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anthropologist Jiro Kawakita and the 1960s.
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The KJ Technique is an idea generating and prioritizing technique.
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The gist of this technique is simple.
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Right down every single observation, thought, and
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question on a post-it note that's real or digital.
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Shuffle the cards, sort similar cards into groups, and
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identify themes in the data, label each group.
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A key aspect of affinity diagramming is keeping an open mind.
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Let the themes and categories emerge from the data,
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rather than predefining categories and simply sorting each card into its basket.
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An Affinity Diagram is powerful when you create it as a team, yet
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you can definitely analyze the data singlehandedly.
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The resources section in this stage lists several resources for
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running an effective affinity diagramming exercise.
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In the next step, we'll look at the transcript again and
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see what is noteworthy.
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Let's walk through an example together.
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Download the project files to follow along.
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I interviewed five people and here are the notes I took about what they said.
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Each color represents a different person.
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So I can keep track of who said what after the notes get moved around.
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I kept each note short to capture the essence of what was said.
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This keeps the notes brief, and
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the granularity allows me to categorize them more cleanly.
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Now, start moving around the notes and organizing by theme.
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There will be some that don't have an obvious place, but don't worry about it.
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Place them to the side and revisit them at the end.
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You'll notice some themes start to emerge such as goals and challenges.
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You may even notice some sub-themes.
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Here's what my Affinity Diagram ended up looking like.
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Keep in mind everyone's organization will be different so
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don't fret if yours looks different than mine.
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Now, goal was a large category for me.
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So I created sub-themes such as fitness, mental health, and socialize.
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This makes it easier for me to scan the diagram to understand the highlights.
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Now back to the clothing store research.
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Practice organizing information from the user interview in the form of
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a Affinity Diagram.
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When you're ready, stay tuned for
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the next video where I'll wrap up what we have learned from this exercise.
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