Research
Affinity map template
Group research notes into themes so patterns across interviews become visible.
What it is
An affinity map sorts a pile of small notes, usually from research, into themes. You move similar notes next to each other until groups appear, then give each group a name. The method is also known as the KJ method, after the Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita.
When to use it
- After user interviews or a usability test
- To make sense of a long list of survey answers or support tickets
- After a brainstorm that produced more notes than anyone can read
How to run it
- 01
One finding per note
Write each observation or quote on its own sticky note and keep it short.
- 02
Group in silence
Everyone moves notes next to similar ones without talking. You can also select a set of notes and let the AI suggest groups.
- 03
Name the groups
Put each group in a frame with a title that says what users experience, like "Trust".
- 04
Rank the themes
Decide which themes matter most for the product and turn each one into a question or a task.
Opens a new board from this prompt:
"Affinity map of answers from a survey of 40 users about a new budgeting app"
Related templates
All templatesResearch
User interview notes
Capture each interview as quotes, observations and problems, then compare them side by side.
Ideation
How might we
Turn problems into how-might-we questions, then pick the ones worth solving.
- Try the AI whiteboard
Or describe your own board
Type one sentence and the AI drafts frames and notes for any format.