Affinity Diagram

The affinity diagram groups a vast number of concepts into natural relationships. It's the result of a brainstorming session that's been organized. It can be used to create, organize, and consolidate data on a product, process, complicated issue, or problem. After you've generated some ideas, sort them into groups based on their affinity or resemblance. This approach of idea generation taps on a group's creativity and intuition. Jiro Kawakita, a Japanese anthropologist, designed it in the 1960s.

Sift through vast amounts of information. A process owner, for example, who is identifying clients and their needs, may assemble a vast collection of unsorted data. In this scenario, creating an Affinity Diagram to organize the data into groups can be beneficial. Encourage new thinking patterns. 

Affinity exercises are a great method to get a group of people to react on a "gut level" rather than thinking things through. The team examines all ideas from all members without judgment because brainstorming is the first stage in creating an Affinity Diagram. This stimulus is frequently sufficient to break through old or entrenched thinking, allowing the team to produce a list of innovative ideas.