Affinity Home | Abstract | Definitions and Examples | The Project | Data and Analysis | Conclusions and Outcomes
It is difficult for Web designers to step into users' shoes. Affinity Mapping provides insight into user ideas. On a publicly placed magnetic board, patrons clustered library concepts and tasks into meaningful groups. A digital camera recorded the results, which were analyzed and applied during the library's Web redesign.
Affinity Mapping is a simple technique for organizing concepts: it consists of
placing related items together. Participants organize ideas by grouping closely related concept words and
phrases, written on cards, into clusters.
Students entering the UCF Library were invited to help redesign the Libraries web site by constructing Affinity Maps. The participants worked in groups ranging in size from 1 to 4 students who may or may not have known each other before the project. Participating students were provided with magnets pre-printed with terms and categories from the Libraries web pages. Students were instructed to select the terms which they thought should be on the Libraries web site and to organize the selected terms on a magnetic white board. Markers and blank magnets for their own ideas were available. Each completed Affinity Map was recorded with a digital camera (see photos). Students were also invited to complete a short survey and provide comments. Participants were given a candy bar in exchange for their efforts.
Faculty participating in an open house at the conclusion of the UCF Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning Summer Workshop were also invited to construct Affinity Maps using categories from the UCF Libraries Web pages.
Data and Analysis:The affinity map photos where translated into spreadsheets. For each map, the following was recorded: selection of the term, clustering of the terms, placement of the cluster on the map, rank, and group number.
Student Group Maps
Map 1 Map 5 Map 9 Map 13 Map 2 Map 6 Map 10 Map 14 Map 3 Map 7 Map 11 Map 15 Map 4 Map 8 Map 12 Map 16 Faculty Group Maps
Map 1 Map 2 Map 3 Map 4 Maps will open in a new window.
The spreadsheets revealed which terms were selected most often, which were most often ranked as important by the participants.
Total Times Used
Term Used UCF Library Catalog 14 Search 14 Find a book 14 Databases by Subject 14 Journals 14 Databases by Title 13 Ask A Librarian 13 Journal Articles 12 Periodicals 12 Hours 11 About the Library 11 Course Reserves 11 Contact Information 10 Guides & Tutorials 10 Index 10 Off-campus Access 9 Services 9 Media 8 Online Resources 8 Interlibrary Loan 8 Checkout & Renew 8 About the Web site 8 Reference 7 Other Library Catalogs 7 Special collections 7 Dissertations 7 Gov docs 7 Citation software 6 Online Forms 6
Total Ranks
Term Ranked Search 7 Checkout & Renew 7 UCF Library Catalog 5 Off-campus Access 5 Course Reserves 5 Find a book 4 Hours 4 Ask A Librarian 4 Online Resources 4 Databases by Subject 3 Journals 3 Journal Articles 3 Citation software 3 Guides & Tutorials 2 Index 2 Online Forms 2 Reference 2 Databases by Title 1 New Titles 1 Services 1 New Movies 1 Browsing collection 1 Collections 1 Library News 1 Other Library Catalogs 1 Special collections 1 Periodicals 1 Interlibrary Loan 1 Dissertations 1
Affinity mapping proved to be a low-cost method to obtain users' viewpoints on the relative importance of items on the web page. While the exercise provided user input on navigation it did not generate new terms. Most of the groups did not apply category labels to their groupings. In addition, the groupings showed no obvious patterns. So the exercise did not suggest categories or groupings for the terms.
The Libraries Web Implementation Committee is applying the Affinity Mapping results to redesign the Libraries' web site. The site has a great deal of content, but the navigation to some content is often so unclear that users assume the content does not exist. The new design will be implemented in December 2004.
Mock-ups for the new site design reflect analysis of the affinity maps, incorporating the most often used terms and concepts and the highest ranked concepts.
Overall participant response to the exercise was positive. Students and faculty comments included: "Very good activity."; "Thanks for giving us input!"; and "Fun drill."
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Athena Hoeppner
and Meg Scharf An Affinity for Users |
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