Cluster & Dots

Design-Thinking method: Cluster & Dots

Cluster and Dots provides teams with an overview of the many ideas generated during a creative session, and is commonly used during the first phase of idea production to assess ideas. The cluster-frame is a four-quadrant frame in which the axes placed on the middle represent the criteria by which ideas should be evaluated (for example innovation, viability, economic feasibility, technological readiness, timing, business organization). Once the ideas are placed within the four-quadrant frame, each idea's potential is evaluated and positioned in the diagram in relation to the chosen criteria. Ideas are then selected using colored dot stickers in order to highlight the most promising and potentially viable ideas.

How to:

1. Hang a large sheet of paper to the wall and section it into four quadrants with two axes.
2. Select the criteria on which to base the graph's structure and write them down. Choosing suitable criteria is essential for clustering and evaluating ideas and to reveal the ones with more potential and are closer to the wanted requirements. Together with the team, select a set of important values that the product/service should meet, and then collectively choose two pairs of criteria for achieving the goal.
3. Write down or draw each idea individually on a post-it, so that it may be easily placed within a quadrant of the Cluster-frame. Analyse each idea with regard to the criteria set out and consequently position it within the Cluster-frame in the most suitable position.
4. Provide each team member with two Dots (coloured stickers), to be applied to the ideas deemed most promising and with more potential and select the ideas to be taken further.

You can download the IDEActivity method cards from the Materials page, along with all the other Resources in the course.