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WorkshopAny teamBrainstorming

Affinity diagram

45 minutes 8 blocksFree Free template

Collect a flood of notes from every phone, group them by theme in one click, fix the groups together, name them and dot-vote. Works with 50 or more people.

Use this template See inside

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

Share
Ideas and observations
One per note, in your own words
Named themes
Groups move here once they're named
Parking lot
Off-topic but worth keeping

In short

An affinity diagram groups a large number of ideas or observations into themes so a team can see patterns. This template collects notes from everyone's phone, groups them by theme in one click for the team to correct, names each theme with a sentence and ends with dot voting and next steps in 45 minutes.
Time
45 minutes
People
3 to 100+
Board
Notes, themes, parking lot, 3 dots
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, a large set of notes is grouped into named themes and the room has voted on what matters most.

45 min · 8 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Warm-up word, 3 minutes 3
  2. The question we're sorting, 3 minutes 3
  3. Silent writing: one idea per note, 10 minutesBrainstorm 10
  4. Group by theme, then fix the groups, 10 minutesDiscuss 10
  5. Name each theme with a sentence, 6 minutes 6
  6. Dot-vote the notes that matter most, 5 minutes 5
  7. Next steps for the top themes, 6 minutes 6
  8. Read back the themes and owners, 2 minutes 2
011233445 min
  1. +0′Warm-up wordOne word for what you expect to see today3 minCheck-in
  2. +3′The question we're sortingTip: Show the question or the research you're synthesizing. Everyone writes against the same question.3 minInfo
  3. +6′Silent writing: one idea per noteTip: One idea per note, so notes can be sorted. With 50 or more people expect 150+ notes; that's what this format is for.10 minBrainstorm
  4. +16′Group by theme, then fix the groupsTip: Press 'Group the ideas by theme' for a first sort, then drag cards that landed in the wrong group. Splitting a big, vague group is usually right.10 minDiscuss
  5. +26′Name each theme with a sentenceTip: A name that says something ('Customers can't find pricing') beats a label ('Pricing'). Move named groups to Named themes.6 minDiscuss
  6. +32′Dot-vote the notes that matter mostTip: Three dots each. The themes collecting the most dots lead the next step.5 minDiscuss
  7. +37′Next steps for the top themes6 minDecide
  8. +43′Read back the themes and owners2 minWrap-up

How to run it

  1. 1Put the question on screen and ask for one idea per note, written from phones.
  2. 2Use 'Group the ideas by theme' for a first sort, then fix it by hand together.
  3. 3Name each group with a short sentence and move it to Named themes; park off-topic notes.
  4. 4Dot-vote, then agree next steps and owners for the top themes.

Questions people ask

What is an affinity diagram?
A way of organizing many ideas into natural groups. It comes from the KJ method developed by Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita and is widely used in quality management, design and research synthesis.
What is dot voting?
A quick way to prioritize: each person gets a few dots (often three) to place on the options they think matter most. The dot totals show the group's priorities at a glance.
What's the difference between an affinity map and an affinity diagram?
They're the same technique. UX and research teams often say affinity map; quality and lean teams usually say affinity diagram.

Run it with your group

Free
  • Ideas land on the board from every phone, then dot-vote
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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