Agile Affinity Mapping Planner Review: The Ultimate Tool for Structured Workshop Preparation

Introduction

Affinity mapping, often referred to as affinity diagramming, is a cornerstone technique in Agile methodology and UX research. It allows teams to organize chaotic data into meaningful themes. However, the success of these sessions often hinges not on the mapping itself, but on the preparation. Enter the Agile Affinity Mapping Planner, a specialized tool designed to eliminate planning overwhelm and structure the process from start to finish. In this review, we explore how this application uses AI and a guided wizard to transform how Scrum Masters and Facilitators prepare for their workshops.

What is the Agile Affinity Mapping Planner?

The Agile Affinity Mapping Planner is a comprehensive planning utility that guides users through a structured workflow to set up an affinity mapping session. Unlike digital whiteboards that are used during the session, this tool is focused entirely on the preparation phase. It employs a 5-step wizard that forces you to think through every critical aspect of your workshop, from defining high-level goals to creating post-session action plans.

The standout feature is its built-in AI capability, labeled as the “AI Experiment.” This feature allows users to generate a full, detailed plan from a simple text description, effectively acting as an expert consultant that drafts the agenda for you in seconds.

Who Is This Tool For?

While the tool is valuable for anyone leading collaborative sessions, it is specifically tailored for:

• Agile Coaches & Scrum Masters: Professionals who need to facilitate retrospectives or brainstorming sessions and require a structured agenda to keep the team focused.
• UX Researchers & Designers: Those dealing with qualitative data, such as user interview notes or usability test feedback, who need to plan how that data will be synthesized.
• Product Managers: Leaders looking to prioritize features or synthesize customer feedback into actionable themes.

Key Features Breakdown

1. AI Full Plan Generation

The most powerful workflow within the application is the AI generation feature. By clicking the “AI Experiment” button, users can input a high-level goal—such as “Analyze user feedback from our latest survey”—and the tool generates a complete plan. This includes filling out the Key Activities, Task Plans, and core documentation across the application’s first four steps. It feels like delegating the heavy lifting of preparation to an assistant, providing a solid foundation that can be manually refined.

2. The 5-Step Guided Wizard

To ensure no detail is overlooked, the application enforces a best-practice workflow consisting of five specific steps:

1. Session Definition: Clarifying goals and objectives.
2. Preparation & Data Gathering: organizing logistics and inputs.
3. Affinity Mapping Session: Planning the actual workshop mechanics.
4. Analysis & Action Plan: Deciding how to interpret results.
5. Final Report: Summarizing the entire plan.

3. Multi-Tab Detail Views

Within each of the planning steps, the interface is divided into specific tabs like “Key Activities,” “Task Plan,” “Concepts,” and “Documents.” This deep structure acts like a digital binder, separating educational context from actionable tasks. It ensures that logistical to-dos (like booking a room) are kept separate from the strategic activities of the session itself.

4. Local Privacy and Security

In an era where cloud storage is the norm, the Agile Affinity Mapping Planner takes a different approach by saving plans strictly to local .json files. This ensures that sensitive project information, such as proprietary user research or internal retrospective data, never leaves the user’s computer. It offers a secure way to manage projects without relying on an internet connection for access.

Getting Started: A Dual Workflow

The tool supports two primary ways of working, catering to both those who want speed and those who prefer manual control.

The AI-Assisted Workflow

For users who need to get up and running quickly, the AI workflow is the ideal path. You simply launch the planner, describe your objective in the “Project Description” box, and click “Generate Plan.” The AI populates the entire wizard. You can then navigate through the steps, reviewing the “Key Activities” and dragging and dropping them to reorder priorities. This method is excellent for overcoming writer’s block or tight deadlines.

The Manual Planning Workflow

For purists or complex custom sessions, the manual workflow allows you to build a plan from scratch. Starting at Step 1, you manually add key activities, define owners, and list specific tools required. This path is slower but allows for granular control over every aspect of the session preparation. Once completed, the plan can be saved as a template to be reloaded and modified for future sessions.

The Final Report

The culmination of the planning process is the Final Report. Step 5 gathers every input, activity, and task entered across the previous steps and compiles them into a clean, comprehensive document. This report can be printed to PDF directly from the browser, serving as the definitive agenda to share with stakeholders or the team prior to the session.

Limitations and Best Practices

While the tool is robust, potential users should be aware of a few constraints to maximize its utility:

• Not a Whiteboard: It is important to note that this is a planner, not the execution tool. You will still need a physical whiteboard or a tool like Miro to perform the actual sorting of sticky notes.
• AI Overwrites Data: Using the “AI Experiment” will completely overwrite any existing data in the planner. It is best used as a starting point.
• Manual Saving: There is no auto-save feature. Users must remember to click the “Save” button to download their JSON file to avoid losing work.

Conclusion

The Agile Affinity Mapping Planner is a vital addition to the toolkit of any facilitator or researcher. By separating the planning phase from the execution phase, it ensures that workshops are goal-oriented and logistics are airtight. Whether you rely on the impressive AI generation to speed up your workflow or prefer the methodical nature of the manual wizard, this tool provides the structure necessary to turn chaotic data into clear, actionable insights.