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Feature

Prototype Review: anonymous dots and a heat map

In AppSprint's Prototype Review, each person opens every prototype and places up to 3 yellow "I like this" dots on it, in silence. The gallery order is randomised and the builder's name is hidden. After the reveal, everyone sees all the dots with no names, which shows where interest clusters, like a heat map. A private vote follows, and the decision-maker keeps one to three prototypes.

What it is for

In a classic design sprint the team sticks dots on the parts of each sketch they like before anyone speaks, so the group is not steered by who drew it or who talks first. Prototype Review does the same thing for working, clickable prototypes built with the AI builder.

How it works

  1. Open each prototype

    The prototypes appear in a gallery in random order. They are interactive, so you can click through them. The builder is hidden.

  2. Place your dots in silence

    You can place up to 3 yellow dots per prototype on the parts you like. Each dot saves a screenshot of what you were looking at. During this phase you see only your own dots.

  3. Reveal

    After the reveal, everyone sees all the dots, with no names. The legend reads "Yellow: yours / Blue: teammates".

  4. Guided discussion

    In the Full and Focused Product Sprints, the room then discusses each prototype for 3 minutes, and the builder speaks last. The One-Hour Sprint skips this discussion.

  5. Vote and decide

    The next step is the Gallery: one private vote each, counts shown after the reveal. The vote is advisory, and the decision-maker keeps 1 to 3 prototypes to take into Refine Together.

What is anonymous and what is not

  • Dots are anonymous. After the reveal you can tell your own dots from your teammates' dots by colour, but not which teammate placed which.
  • Prototype authorship is hidden during the review, and the order is randomised for the gallery.
  • Written review notes are attributed to the person who wrote them.
  • As with all anonymity in AppSprint, this is enforced in the interface. Author ids are stored on the server. See anonymous ideas and voting.

Limits worth knowing

  • The dots mean "I like this". They mark strengths, and criticism is left for the discussion and the written review notes.
  • The limit is 3 dots per person per prototype, so the review shows where interest clusters and is not a scoring system.
  • AI teammates are excluded from Prototype Review. They place no dots and cast no votes.
  • Outside testers do not place dots. They answer a feedback form instead.

Which templates include it

The Full Product Sprint and the Focused Product Sprint include the silent dots followed by the guided discussion. The One-Hour Sprint has a 10-minute Review Prototypes step with the dots only. Team Vibe Coding has one shared prototype, so there is nothing to compare and no review step.

Questions and answers

How do you review prototypes without bias in a remote team?

Hide who built each one, randomise the order, and have people mark what they like in silence before any discussion. AppSprint's Prototype Review does this with up to 3 anonymous dots per person per prototype, a reveal, and then a private vote.

Can people see who placed each dot?

No. Before the reveal you see only your own dots. After the reveal you see everyone's, coloured yellow for yours and blue for teammates, with no names.

Does the builder get to explain their prototype?

In the Full and Focused Product Sprints, yes, but last. The guided review gives each prototype 3 minutes, and the builder speaks after the rest of the room. The One-Hour Sprint has no guided discussion.

Do the dots decide which prototype wins?

No. The dots inform the discussion. The choice is made in the next step: one private vote per person, which is advisory, and then the decision-maker keeps one to three prototypes.

Review real prototypes, not opinions

Each person builds a prototype with AI, then the team reviews them anonymously. Free to start.

Start a One-Hour Sprint

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Last updated 2026-09-17.