Purpose
The method helps clarify group input, selection, and decisions concretely. It turns individual contributions into a visible shortlist. The outcome is captured as a ranked list, consensus signal, and shortlist.
Facilitation
Dot Voting
Turns group input, selection, and decisions into a tangible result by making options visible, explaining voting limits, and discussing outliers.
Which options receive the most support from the group, and where do consensus or polarization appear?
LowWorkshop5-15 min
How it works
The team follows the steps: make options visible, explain voting limits, vote silently, validate the result, and discuss outliers. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, a ranked list, consensus signal, and shortlist are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Make options visible
- 2Explain voting limits
- 3Vote silently
- 4Review the result
- 5Discuss outliers
The runsheet guides execution with 5 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Workshop convergence
- Agenda selection
- Idea ranking
Not good for
- Complex portfolio decisions
- Very uneven evidence quality
Deep dive
In detail
Dot voting follows a clear working logic: make options visible, explain voting limits, vote silently, check the result, and discuss outliers. This turns the method into a visible thinking process rather than only a conversation. Participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options toward a shared structure. The result is a ranked list, consensus signal, and shortlist that make decisions, learning, and further planning actionable.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear prompt, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan about 5-15 minutes with 3-20 people and use the format in a facilitated workshop. The facilitation stays lightweight; short timeboxes, visible intermediate results, and a parking lot for open questions help.
Output artifacts
Ranked listConsensus signalShortlist
Artifact templates
Workshop AgendaCompact agenda template for method sequences with timebox, purpose, and output.agenda
Workshop AgendaCompact agenda template for method sequences with timebox, purpose, and output.
agendaworkshop-agenda-markdown.md
Compact agenda template for method sequences with timebox, purpose, and output.
Workshop Agenda
Goal: ... Participants: ... Duration: ...
| Time | Method | Purpose | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Check-in | Set focus | Shared start |
| 00:10 | How Might We | Ideation questions | HMW list |
| 00:35 | Brainwriting | Generate ideas | Idea pool |
| 01:10 | Dot Voting | Prepare selection | Prioritized ideas |
| 01:30 | Storyboarding | Make the concept tangible | Storyboard |
Close-out
Decision, owner, next test.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Decision Matrix
Statt Dot Voting, wenn ihr Optionen über explizite Kriterien, Gewichtung und Begründung nachvollziehbar vergleichen wollt.
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