Media: UIE explains the KJ-Method for reaching Consensus

"The KJ-Technique: A Group Process for Establishing Priorities" by Jared Spool takes the reader through how to use the group consensus technique invented by Jiro Kawakita.

'A few years back, we conducted an experiment where we had 15 teams use the method simultaneously. Each team consisted of ten usability specialists, each from different organizations. Their goal was to take their own individual experiences and prioritize an action plan as a team. We focused the exercise around the question, “What are the biggest obstacles to producing quality products that you face in your job?”

Each person started by listing their own personal obstacles. Then, using the process, they spent approximately 40 minutes reaching consensus. By the end, we asked each team to list the top 3 items.

When we compared the all 15 teams' results, they all had basically the same top items: Need to define requirements better; Need to understand the users better; and Need to have better communication with their design team.'

Spool is amazed how each of these teams came to basically the same top priorities, even though they each started with individual data. Having repeated this experiment three times, with very similar results, he concludes that the KJ-Method does work to get an objective group consensus out of a collection of subjective, opinionated data.

Associated Link: UIE: The KJ-Technique: A Group Process for Establishing Priorities

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