Also called: Divide the Dollar, $10 test
Alternative plays: Priority Mapping, Trade-off Sliders
Follow-up plays: Priority Mapping
Timing: Planning
Prep time
15 minutes
Run time
60-90 minutes
Group size
3-5
Why: Cut through indecision by simulating scarcity, helping resolvee dilemmas over priority and importance
When: When you need group concensus on compromises needed to prioritize a list of items
This workshop exercise is part of the Workshop Patterns printed card deck.
A collection of workshop exercises that will help you ditch dull meetings and facilitate with confidence. It will help you master the design process and have more productive time with your team. The card deck will be ready for purchase in the end of 2025 and is now undergoing rigorous testing.
Reserve your deck!Instructions for running this play
- Setup. Create three columns on a large surface: Items, Price, Why?
- Populate the list. In the first column, list the items to be prioritized.
- Introduce the exercise. Explain the objective of the exercise to the participants: they have a shared imaginary $100 to ‘spend’ on the items. Each dollar spent signifies the importance of an item.
- Allocate the funds. Let participants agree as a group on how to distribute the money across the items through discussion. Encourage them to write a brief explanation for the amount each item receives.
- Be prepared to guide the conversation if the group starts discussing the actual cost or effort of the items. This isn’t the primary focus and could derail the exercise. If necessary, suggest these points for a separate discussion or another ‘$100 Test’.
- Reasoning. Once the matrix is filled out, invite the group to explain their decisions. Why did certain items get more money? What was the thought process?
- Next steps. Use the completed matrix as a reference for future decisions, indicating which items hold higher priority and should be focused on first.
Tips to perfect this play
Master and adapt the play to fit your context and needs.
Tip
Can be used in any context where creating a sense of scarcity can help a group focus and decide what's most important
Tip
It's not about the exact allocation of dollars but the reasoning behind it
Tip
Encourage participants to be open to changing their minds as perspectives tend to shift during the course of discussions, leading to more refined priorities.
This workshop exercise is part of the Workshop Patterns printed card deck.
A collection of workshop exercises that will help you ditch dull meetings and facilitate with confidence. It will help you master the design process and have more productive time with your team. The card deck will be ready for purchase in the end of 2025 and is now undergoing rigorous testing.
Reserve your deck!Related plays
- $100 Test by Dave Gray
- Prioritization: 100 Dollar Method and Scale by Frank Schillinger
