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The Affinity Diagram is a tool used within project management and other fields such as interface design (e.g. prior to creating wireframes or UI prototypes) to sort large amounts of ideas into groups for review and analysis. The affinity diagram methodology was created in the 1960s by Jiro Kawakita and is thus also dubbed the KJ Method. Originally, Affinity Diagrams were intended to help in diagnosing complicated problems through the organization of qualitative data to reveal themes associated with the problems. Affinity Diagrams can be used, among others, to analyze findings from a usability evaluation or field study or even to identify and group user functions as part of design. Affinity Diagramming is related to other user interface design methods like card sorting in that ideas are written on cards (or post-it-notes etc.). What benefits do Affinity Diagrams offer for interface design and wireframing activities? Affinity Diagrams can aid interface designers during the conception stages when wireframing and prototype creation are often used to generate interface design solutions. Affinity Diagrams can help identify what to include into a wireframe prototype by consolidating lots of customer data into meaningful design criteria. The methodology, in effect, can uncover the range of, give boundaries to and uncover similarity among user's problems and needs. But Affinity Diagrams can also help identify potential areas for future study. Affinity diagramming is methodologically advantageous because it facilitates teamwork and collaboration. It improves team cohesion as the entire team can be involved allowing for group ownership of data, ideas and breakthroughs generated. Because the method is relatively straightforward and simple it is also cost-effective with material costs kept at a minimum. Affinity diagrams can also help identify customer work practices and can therefore be considered a precursor to Contextual Design, another interface design method. What are drawbacks of Affinity Diagrams and how can this affect interface design and wireframing? Affinity Diagrams are considered cost-effective in terms of material resources needed. However, the method can be time-consuming, especially when the amount of data that needs to be analyzed is large. Time issues aside, this in turn could also be exhausting as your team evaluates all of the data. These drawbacks are due to the time and effort it takes to distill data (which could, and often does, come from a number of sources) into meaningful 'units of information'. Time is consumed both in completing the affinity diagram project and the subsequent interpretation of the resulting groups and sub-groups. Another problematic situation can arise when there is simply not enough data. As a rule of thumb, if 15 or less items of information have been identified then you may forego the Affinity diagramming process and resort to other user interface design methods. ==================== About the Author: ==================== Pidoco.com – Interface Design, Wireframing Software, Wireframing Tool, Interface Design Software, Interface Prototyping, Usability Testing, Clickable Wireframes and Digital Paper. User centered design for improved user interface design or UI Design.
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