Using affinity diagrams to evaluate interactive prototypes

Abstract

Affinity diagramming is a technique used to externalize, make sense of, and organize large amounts of unstructured, far-ranging, and seemingly dissimilar qualitative data. HCI and interaction design practitioners have adopted and used affinity diagrams for different purposes. This paper discusses our particular use of affinity diagramming in prototype evaluations. We reflect on a decade’s experience using affinity diagramming across a number of projects, both in industry and academia. Our affinity diagramming process in interaction design has been tailored and consists of four stages: creating notes, clustering notes, walking the wall, and documentation. We draw examples from eight projects to illustrate our particular practices along these four stages, as well as to ground the discussion.