Sticking Dots

A to Z of Creativity Techniques
Previous Stakeholder Analysis	Next Stimulus Analysis

A popular, quick method for determining priorities by voting.

• Ideas are itemised clearly on a flip chart (or similar aid).
• Nameless voting tends to work best.
• Give each group a different coloured set of dots, i.e. group A have red dots.
• Give each indicidual or group a number of dots (say 10 each)
• Allow the group time to deliberate over the ideas they wish to vote for.
• Once all the groups are ready, one person from the group sticks their dots by their preferred top ideas.
• In some variations, there is no maximum number of votes an individual / group cn give to one idea.
• Once all the dots are placed, all the groups enter into a discussion on any patterns, and general observations.
• A short-list of the top 5 is made

This is not a deeply analytic method, but a short, sharp measure of the current thinking of the task in hand