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In UX design, you always have to prioritize. Features, personas, usability problems, and the list goes on. Dot votes are a simple way to find the group's sense of what's the most important.

Dot voting is a technique used in the ideation phase of the UX design methodology to narrow down a list of ideas generated during brainstorming or other ideation techniques. It involves giving each participant a set number of dot stickers (usually three or four) and asking them to place their dots next to the ideas that they think have the most potential or that they find most compelling.

The purpose of dot voting is to quickly identify the most popular or promising ideas and to generate consensus among the design team about which ideas to pursue further. It is a simple and effective way to prioritize ideas and get everyone on the same page.

Here are the steps involved in the dot voting process:

  1. Generate a list of ideas: Before dot voting can begin, the design team needs to generate a list of potential solutions or ideas for the problem at hand. This can be done through brainstorming, sketching, or other ideation techniques.
  2. Write the ideas on a board or wall: The ideas should be clearly written or drawn on a board or wall that is easily visible to all participants.
  3. Distribute dot stickers: Give each participant a set number of dot stickers (usually three or four) and explain the rules of the voting process.
  4. Vote: Each participant places their dots next to the ideas they find most promising or compelling. Participants can place all of their dots on one idea, or distribute them across multiple ideas.
  5. Tally the votes: Once all the dots have been placed, tally up the votes for each idea to identify the most popular or promising ideas.
  6. Discuss and prioritize: Use the results of the dot voting process to guide further discussion and prioritize which ideas to pursue further in the design process.

VisualizeTheVote.jpg

For example, let's say a design team is tasked with creating a new app for tracking personal finances. During a brainstorming session, the team generates a list of 20 potential features for the app. To narrow down the list, the team decides to use dot voting.

Each team member is given three dot stickers and asked to place them next to the features they find most promising. After all the votes are tallied, the team identifies the top five features that received the most votes. The team then discusses these top features further and decides which ones to prioritize in the design process based on the results of the dot voting process.

Key takeaways from the dot voting technique include its simplicity, effectiveness, and ability to generate consensus among the design team. By using dot voting to prioritize ideas, teams can save time and focus their efforts on the most promising solutions.

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