Also called: One-Dot Voting
Alternative plays: Dot Voting, Fist to Five, Roman Voting
Follow-up plays: Fist to Five
Timing: Planning
Run time
1 minute
Group size
3-20
Why: Promote inclusivity, ensures equal representation of individual voices, and help identify common ground or divergence
When: Use for quick insights or a general pulse of the group's majority opinion
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
- Generate ideas or list a set of alternatives and put them on individual sticky notes on the same surface.
- Consider removing duplicates and clustering ideas through Affinity Mapping.
- Note the Vote. Each team member gets one or two votes. Ask each participant to make a (private) note of which one or two ideas they think are best within a Timebox of 3-5 minutes.
- Place the note. At the same time everyone places their votes using dot stickers or marking with pens on their chosen option.
- Discussion. Let participants take turns in explaining their vote.
Tips to perfect this play
Master and adapt the play to fit your context and needs.
Tip: Vote at the same time
The vote has to be simultaneous to avoid one person influencing the others.
Tip: Voting either / or?
If you are choosing between binary options, consider using a quick show of hands or an online yes/no vote.
Tip: OK to give more time
Give the group more time if they feel they need it.
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
- How to use dot voting efficiently in your next workshop by Sandy Lam
- Straw Poll
- Straw poll
- The Design Sprint Workshop: Voting Day (Part 3) by PentaGuy Blogger
- Straw Poll exercise by Thoughtbot
