What feature primarily differentiates the Affinity Diagram from brainstorming?

The primary feature that differentiates the Affinity Diagram from brainstorming is its ability to organize responses into 'like' categories. While brainstorming is an idea generation technique where individuals or groups freely share thoughts and ideas, it does not inherently focus on organizing or categorizing those ideas.

The Affinity Diagram, on the other hand, takes the output generated from brainstorming and sorts it into clusters based on similar themes or concepts. This organizing process helps in identifying patterns, relationships, and key insights from a large amount of information. By systematically arranging ideas into categories, the Affinity Diagram enhances the clarity and usability of the ideas generated during brainstorming sessions, allowing teams to prioritize or further develop their thoughts more effectively.

This differentiating feature makes the Affinity Diagram a valuable tool in collaborative environments, where synthesizing diverse thoughts into coherent groups can lead to more coherent action plans or solutions.