Participatory Methods

epresentación abstracta de la metodología participativa Votación por mapa de calor. En un estilo de collage moderno, se observa un tablero con múltiples ideas y puntos de colores dispersos, reflejando el proceso de priorización visual de elementos clave.

Heat Map Voting

Heat Map Voting is a prioritization technique that helps participants identify specific elements within a set of ideas or proposals. Instead of voting for entire ideas, participants use multiple colored dots or marks to vote on particular features or components. This creates a visual “heat map” that highlights the most valued aspects. This method is ideal for innovation sessions, decision-making, and collaborative work.

Preparation

Materials

  • Large sheets or cards with sketches, ideas, or proposals.
  • Whiteboard, wall, or surface to display the ideas.
  • Small colored stickers or markers.

To run the activity virtually:

Collaborative platforms can be used that allow participants to add visual marks or dots to shared documents or interactive digital whiteboards.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Present the ideas or sketches
    • Display all the ideas on an accessible surface.
    • Briefly explain each proposal to ensure everyone understands them.
  2. Define the voting criteria
    • Remind participants of the objectives and success metrics.
    • Explain that votes should be placed on specific elements within the ideas.
  3. Conduct the voting
    • Provide each participant with an unlimited number of stickers or markers.
    • Ask them to distribute their votes over the elements they find most important.
  4. Observe the heat map
    • Identify areas with the highest concentration of votes.
    • Recognize patterns and trends.
  5. Discussion and prioritization
    • Analyze the most-voted elements and discuss the reasons behind them.
    • Conduct a second round of voting if necessary.
Recommendations
  • Ensure that participants understand the voting criteria.
  • Use different colors to represent different criteria.
  • If there are too many options, divide them into categories before voting.
  • Allow each person to vote individually before group discussion to avoid influence.
  • Complement with other prioritization techniques if needed.
Inspiration

Inspiration: Variations for Different Uses

  • Multi-criteria voting: Assign different types of stickers for aspects like impact, feasibility, and innovation.
  • Team voting: Divide participants into small groups to compare results.
  • Justified voting: Participants explain their choices.
  • Progressive voting: Conduct an initial general round, then vote again among the top-rated options.
  • Reverse heat map: Identify elements that raise doubts instead of the most valued ones.
Materials
  • Large sheets or cards with sketches, ideas, or proposals.
  • Whiteboard, wall, or surface to display the ideas.
  • Small colored stickers or markers.
  • Clock or timer to manage the voting time.
  • Sticky notes for additional comments.
Online platforms
Purpose

Heat Map Voting facilitates the prioritization of key aspects within a set of ideas in a visual and collaborative way. It is useful in innovation processes, strategic planning, and group decision-making.

Type of activity
Participatory DesignParticipatory EvaluationParticipatory InteractionParticipatory LearningParticipatory Planning
Level of participation
Collaboration, Shared decision-making, Collaborative assessment, Knowledge generation
Target audience
Educators, Facilitators, Students, Community leaders, NGOs and social collectives, Business teams, Government, Creative designers, Researchers
Fields of application
Education and training, Community development, Organizational and business management, Urban and rural planning, Health and social well-being, Art, culture, and creativity, Sustainability and environment, Public policies and governance, Innovation and design, Research and evaluation, Conflict resolution, Technology and digital environments, Citizen and social participation
Estimated duration
10 minutes
Ideal number of participants
4-20 people
Topics related to this activity
Agile MethodologiesCollaborative Decision-MakingCollaborative InnovationCollaborative PrioritizationCollaborative VisualizationsCollective EvaluationParticipatory EvaluationParticipatory InnovationProject ManagementProject PrioritizationTeam CollaborationTeamworkVisual DocumentationVisual MapsVisual MethodologyVisual Tools
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