Affinity Diagram

An Affinity Diagram is a tool that gathers large amounts of language data (ideas, opinions, issues) and organizes them into groupings based on their natural relationships. The Affinity process is often used to group ideas generated by Brainstorming.
Resource Type: 
  • Guide
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    REFERENCES

     

    George, M. L., Rowlands, D., Price, M., & Maxey, J. (2005). The LEAN Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Learn About Quality. (2018, April 17). Retrieved from asq.org: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/idea-creation-tools/overview/affinity.html

    REFERENCES

    Introduction

    Before we begin, consider your situation and your resources. Is the affinity process right for you?

    When to Use the Affinity Process:

    • When issues seem large and complex
    • When group consensus and involvement is necessary
    • When evaluating a variety of solutions

    Materials You'll Need:

    • Sticky notes or index cards & tape
    • Markers, for writing
    • Large surface area (work table, flip chart, white board, blank wall)
    • Team members from all areas of the organization involved in the process

    The Steps:

    Begin with a Global AIM Statement

    For example: Increase the percentage of patients who would recommend our practice to their friends and family 4% by 12/31/2020.

    Brainstorm

    Have each participant individually record as many ideas as they can think of in the time allowed, recording one idea per sticky note.

    Display your Ideas

    As the ideas begin to slow down, have participants randomly place their sticky notes/cards on the large work surface. Some individuals may begin grouping as they post and notice similar ideas.

    Grouping

    Begin silently connecting ideas that seem related. Start with two sticky notes and add notes to that group or begin new groupings. It’s ok to move items others have grouped but if the same item is moved between two groups, write the idea on a second sticky note to add it to both groups. Continue grouping ideas silently until all sticky notes are grouped into similar categories.

    Naming

    Have participants review each grouping and name the theme for each group.

    What Now?

    Once the affinity diagramming is complete, utilize voting and evaluation methods such as Nominal Group Voting or Force Field Analysis to identify the ideas to pursue.

    Continue to utilize QI tools such as 5 Why Diagram, Process Mapping and Key Driver Diagram until your team develops a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle for the Quality Improvement project.

    Sample Affinity Process

    A color-coded affinity diagram titled "Increase Patient Engagement & Satisfaction Affinity Diagram/Brainstorm" shows ideas grouped into six categories: Customer Service, Wait Times, Access, Patient Feedback, Relationship with Care Team. Each category contains sticky-note style boxes with improvement strategies such as "Timely phone call return," "Decrease wait time in exam room," and "Survey patients."

    Key Takeaway

    An Affinity Diagram is a powerful tool used to organize large amounts of ideas, opinions, and issues into natural groupings, helping teams make sense of complex information. Often following a brainstorming session, the affinity process supports clarity by revealing patterns and themes within unstructured data. This method is especially useful when facing large or complex issues, when team consensus and collaboration are essential, or when multiple solutions need to be evaluated.

    By visually organizing ideas into related clusters, teams can better understand the bigger picture and move forward with shared understanding and direction.

    Happy businesswoman planning ideas project work on a glass of wall with colorful memo

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