Originated by Jiro Kawakita (the KJ method, Hasso-ho, 1967).
Groups a large pile of notes, ideas, or observations by similarity from the bottom up, naming the themes only after the clusters settle.
When to reach for it
Dozens or hundreds of interview notes, brainstormed ideas, or feedback items are piling up, and the themes in them are not yet visible.
How it runs
- Write one item per sticky note.
- Sort the notes into groups in silence.
- Keep moving notes until the clusters stop changing.
- Name each cluster for what its notes share.
- Draw the links between clusters and carry the structure forward.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
Go to the source
- Hasso-ho, Chuokoron, 1967