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Criterion
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Paper illustration of Shape Up with its method-specific working model.
Delivery
Shape Up
A 5 Whys working surface connects an observable problem with evidenced causes, marked uncertainty and concrete countermeasures with ownership.
Operations
5 Whys
Paper illustration for Root Cause Analysis.
Operations
Root Cause Analysis
Purposedifferent
When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer.Shape Up helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow. It makes work boundaries and decisions explicit and captures results as pitches, bet-table decisions, and hill charts.For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description.When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLowMedium
Timedifferent
45–90 min6 Wochen Cycle + 2 Wochen Cool-Down15-30 min1-4 h
Participantsdifferent
3-102-4 pro Pitch2-63-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasPitches, Bet-table decisions, Hill charts, Cooldown outcomesRoot cause notes, CountermeasuresProblem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan
Tagsno overlap
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
PlanningDeliveryAutonomy
Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving
Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident
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