Affinity Clusters

Connect the dots between ideas.

Affinity cluster helps you collect a large set of ideas and structure them into groups of themes. In the end, the team defines the problems and develop potential ideas for solutions.

Steps

Select a facilitator to lead the session

Typically, this can be the product manager or product designer.

Invite a diverse group of team members

Everyone is of equal rank while in the session. Keep the environment casual and open, so that each participant feels comfortable contributing to the session.

Generate ideas

Use brainstorming, dump and sort or other methods to generate a collection of items. Each participant writes down potential items on sticky notes.

Sort items into groups

After the team discusses each sticky note, the facilitator places similar questions next to each other on a whiteboard. Target to have 3 to 10 clusters.

Label each group

The name represents what all the items represent together.

Find any gaps

Once you understand the themes of your ideas, address any missing gaps.

Connect groups

Create connections with other cluster using line to understand how the themes related to each other.

Summarize insights and actions

The product manager will compile the team's notes and then discuss them with the rest of the team.

Affinity Clusters

Steps

Related

Strategic Objectives

Business Goals