Building Better Ideas

Appendix 3 ▪ Tools and Templates

Many of the forms shown throughout this section can be downloaded from https://www.barnesconti.com/CD/.

Affinity Diagram

An affinity diagram helps you to categorize or identify relationships among ideas, issues, or elements of a system.

Materials/Equipment:

• Postable notes

Process:

1. Conduct a “silent brainstorming” session, preferably using postable notes.

2. Ask the group to rearrange the notes, posted on a wall or table, into categories of similar ideas.

3. Ask the group to create titles that label the sets of ideas. Use brief titles or headings that describe the theme of each category.

Applications:

• When you need to break a complex issue into broad categories

• When you need to organize ideas, solutions, ...