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Criterion
Paper illustration for Affinity Estimation.
Agile
Affinity Estimation
Paper illustration for Dot Estimation.
Facilitation
Dot Estimation
Paper mind map with a central course onboarding question, colored main branches, keywords and cross-links.
Facilitation
Mind Mapping
Paper illustration of several people silently writing ideas and passing sheets around with arrows.
Innovation
Brainwriting
Purposedifferent
When many tasks need to be classified quickly, it sorts them by perceived effort and similarity. It reduces the effort of fine-grained estimation for large volumes.When size or effort can only be estimated roughly, Dot Estimation condenses the group's experience into a quick range. It turns individual contributions into a visible selection. The result is captured as an Effort Heatmap, Risk Signals, and Discussion Targets.When a topic is still unclear and too many thoughts surface at once, Mind Mapping creates an open surface for ordering them. It makes connections, subtopics, and starting points visible without fixing them too early.When loud voices or hierarchy distort the idea search, the method creates a quiet entry into joint development. It gives everyone thinking space and gathers contributions without social brakes, making diversity more visible and easier to build on.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLowLow
Timedifferent
30-90 min5-20 min15-45 min15-30 min
Participantsdifferent
3-123-201-103-12
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Affinity Size Map, Grouped Estimates, Unclear ItemsEffort Heatmap, Risk Signals, Discussion TargetsMind Map, Topic Clusters, Open QuestionsIdea sheets, Expanded concepts, Prioritized list
Tagsno overlap
EstimationBacklogRelative sizing
EstimationEffortRisk
BrainstormingIdeasMappingStructureFacilitation
BrainstormingCollaborationInclusionIdeas
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