Affinity Diagram

A collaborative analysis method where team members organise large amounts of data — such as user research findings, design ideas, or usability issues — by writing individual items on sticky notes and grouping them on a wall or board according to their natural relationships and similarities. Developed by Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita (hence also called the KJ method), affinity diagramming helps teams identify patterns, themes, and categories that emerge from qualitative data. In accessibility and usability research, affinity diagrams are commonly used to synthesise findings from user testing sessions, card sorting exercises, or heuristic evaluations into actionable categories and design recommendations.