The amount of data and information collected when service designers perform research tasks can sometimes be pretty overwhelming. To avoid the feeling of drowning in data, service designers use affinity mapping as a method.

Affinity mapping or sorting consists of breaking down each piece of information on one tiny simple sticky note. Then, using a gigantic wall, services designers will start to group all these sticky notes with different information they have gathered in sub-categories and categories.

By doing so, they are able to summarize hundreds of data points in just a few dozen categories. This is obviously much easier to digest.

For each category, the service designer will then ask themselves the following: What does this mean? What does it mean for the problem I’m trying to solve?

Usually, the grouping of these tiny bits of data happens one sticky note after the other. By doing so, hundreds of data point aren’t scary anymore. This, especially when advancing further in their mapping or grouping, make the different categories seem more precise and insightful.

The art of affinity sorting is to make the categories evolve during the process and to not stay stuck in some pre-defined categories.

This article is part of my free course "What is Service Design?" which helps you to discover what Service Design is and why it is powerful to enhance the customer experience.