Affinity mapping for a project about aviation industry skills
Connected Places Catapult brought in a design agency to run a research project to understand the skills gaps and shortages in the aviation industry.
After carrying out thorough user research, they used affinity mapping to analyse and synthesise their research findings into thematic groups. The aims of this were to:
- get a deeper understanding of the needs and interests of the aviation industry and further education providers
- identify the key skills industry and education should focus on over the next 5 years
- identify challenges and opportunities in addressing the skill gap and shortage
What they did
A team of 4 people worked on the affinity map, so this was a group activity. But because the 4 people worked different schedules, they also worked individually. They had regular check-ins to discuss and align their work.
They:
- worked online using the virtual whiteboard Mural, as they weren’t all in the same place
- followed the 6-stage process described in this guide
- had gathered a lot of data, so even with 4 people it took them 2 weeks to complete their affinity map
What they found
They identified a number of robust research themes and groups. These were used to spark discussion with the client and other stakeholders, and in the rest of their research.
Things they learned for next time
- As you are organising and grouping your notes, make copies of your notes and move the copies to their new groups. Having a copy of the original state of your notes will let you to trace the origin and journey of your research data.
- Don’t be afraid to create new virtual workspaces, the sheer volume of objects can slow down the boards. Spread things out across more than one!