TOPIC: What is the difference between idea/mind mapping and affinity diagram?

A simple way to think about it is logical structure to the relationships between ideas. In an affinity diagram, ideas are logically organized based on their relationship to each other. For example, if I am working on a project for an airport, I may organize my tasks based on the things I need to construct in a sequential order for project success: runway, taxiways, tower, terminal, etc. Meanwhile, a mind map is less logically structured, where ideas are floated out there that may or may not relate to each other. It makes it easier to visualize data or discover relationships between dissimilar ideas.

- Steven