Guide
Anonymous dot voting: how it works and when to use it
In dot voting, each person gets a small, fixed number of votes (dots) and places them on the options they prefer. Keeping votes anonymous and revealing them all at once stops early votes and senior opinions from steering everyone else. Treat the count as input and let one named person make the final call. In AppSprint, ballots are private until the reveal and the vote is advisory: the decision-maker confirms the choice.
What dot voting is for
Dot voting, sometimes called dotmocracy, is a quick way for a group to narrow many options to a few. It is a prioritising tool, not an election: it shows where the group's interest clusters.
The design sprint in the book Sprint by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz uses it several times: on "How might we" notes, as a heat map of dots on each sketch, and in a straw poll. Then the Decider chooses with their own supervote. The team's dots inform that decision and do not bind it.
Should dot voting be anonymous?
Usually, yes. When dots are visible as they land, the first few attract more, and people notice where the manager or the client voted. Private ballots with one reveal remove both effects.
| Open dots | Anonymous dots | |
|---|---|---|
| While voting | Everyone watches the count build | Each person sees only their own votes |
| Main risk | Following the crowd or the boss | Less chance to explain a vote |
| Best for | Low-stakes choices among peers | Mixed seniority, clients in the room, contested choices |
Run a vote step by step
Clean up the options (5 minutes)
Merge duplicates and remove names so people vote on the idea.
State the question and the number of dots (1 minute)
Say exactly what a dot means, for example "most worth prototyping". One common rule of thumb gives each person dots equal to about a quarter of the options.
Vote in silence (3 to 5 minutes)
Everyone votes privately, including the facilitator and the person who will decide. No lobbying.
Reveal everything at once
Show the counts only when all votes are in.
Discuss the top few (5 to 10 minutes)
Ask what people saw in the leaders, and whether a low scorer has a supporter worth hearing.
Decide
The Decider chooses, using the count as advice. On a tie, vote again among the tied options or let the Decider pick.
Common mistakes
- Too many dots. If everyone can vote for nearly everything, nothing stands out.
- Treating the count as binding. A vote shows preference, not feasibility or strategy.
- Showing results as they come in, which defeats private voting.
Doing it remotely
On a shared online board, dots can be visible as they are placed, sometimes with a name attached. Use a method that hides votes until the reveal: a poll or form with hidden results, or private messages to the facilitator.
Doing this in AppSprint
Ballots in AppSprint are private. Counts appear only after the reveal, and everyone votes, including the host. The number of dots depends on the step: one, two, three or eight per person. The team vote is advisory, and the decision-maker, AppSprint's term for the Decider, then confirms the choice. No supervote or weighted dot is offered. On a tie, the host can re-vote the tied options or start a new vote with all options. See anonymous ideas and voting.
In Prototype Review, each person silently places up to three dots on each working prototype. After the reveal all dots show without names, and each prototype's builder stays hidden. The host or a co-host can also start an ad-hoc anonymous poll from Room tools; ranked results are posted to the chat.
The anonymity is enforced in the interface: no participant, including the host, is shown who wrote or voted for what. Author records are still stored on the server, so it is not cryptographic anonymity. Votes belong to AppSprint's guided steps; for dots on a free-form board, use a whiteboard.