Sticky Decision
The Sticky Decision is the five-step routine a design sprint team uses to choose which solution sketch to prototype: art museum, heat map, speed critique, straw poll and supervote. It comes from the book 'Sprint' by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz of GV, where it fills the morning of day three. The team reviews anonymous sketches in silence, marks what stands out, discusses each sketch against a timer, votes, and then a named Decider makes the final call, so a fixed script takes the place of open debate.
Facilitation script
- 1
Hang all sketches anonymously, explain the five steps and the rule that authors do not present. Confirm who the Decider is.
5 min - 2
Art museum and heat map: silent review. Everyone places as many small dots as they like on interesting parts and writes questions on sticky notes below each sketch.
20 min - 3
Speed critique: go sketch by sketch with a visible timer. Talk through the sketch, name the dotted parts, capture standout ideas on notes above it, review concerns, and let the author speak last.
25 min - 4
Straw poll: restate the sprint goal, give silent thinking time, then everyone places one large dot at once and explains the choice in about a minute.
15 min - 5
Supervote: the Decider places their special votes and says briefly why.
5 min - 6
Move the winning sketches to a separate wall, note useful details from the others, and agree whether the winners fit into one prototype or need to compete.
10 min
Tips
Agree who the Decider is before the session and make sure they stay in the room for all five steps; a supervote cast by someone who missed the critique carries little weight with the team.
Keep a strict timer during the speed critique, because this is the step that slides back into open debate.
Tell authors in advance that they will speak last, so the sketches are judged on what is on the paper.
If the Decider overrules the straw poll, ask them to explain their reasoning briefly so the team can commit to the choice.
Common pitfalls
Letting authors explain their sketch first: the best presenter wins and ideas that a real user would never understand unaided get through
No timer in the speed critique: one sketch absorbs half an hour, the later sketches are rushed and the team reaches the vote tired
People placing straw-poll votes one after another: later voters follow the early ones and the Decider sees a consensus that was never there
A Decider who delegates the supervote or leaves early: the choice is reopened the next day and the prototype is built without commitment
Treating the straw poll as binding: the team feels overruled when the Decider chooses differently, so say clearly at the start that the poll is advice
Variations
Remote version: upload the sketches as images to an online whiteboard, use small coloured shapes or the tool's voting feature as dots, and have people place straw-poll votes on a signal so nobody is influenced by early voters. Outside a design sprint the same routine works for choosing between any set of written or drawn proposals, such as concept one-pagers or campaign ideas, as long as they are comparable and anonymous. With more than seven people, split the wall and run two critique groups, then bring both sets of standout notes to one Decider.
Where it fits
When to use it
A team has produced several detailed solution sketches and must pick what to prototype within a morning
Past decisions were won by whoever argued longest or held the most senior title
One person is accountable for the outcome and needs the team's view before deciding
The options are concrete enough to be read and understood on paper without a pitch
You want quieter team members' judgment recorded before discussion starts
When not to use it
There is no single person with authority to decide; use Consent Decision Making or Gradients of Agreement so the group decides together
The options are rough one-line ideas; a plain round of Dot Voting or an Impact/Effort Matrix is quicker
The choice depends on data, cost or feasibility analysis that is not in the room; use a Decision Matrix with agreed criteria
The group is larger than about seven and everyone expects a say; the speed critique becomes too slow, so split the group or use a Gallery Walk with voting
The Decider cannot attend; postpone, because a decision relayed afterwards will be reopened
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Sticky Decision?▾
The Sticky Decision is the decision routine from the GV design sprint, described in the book 'Sprint' by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz. It has five steps: art museum, heat map, speed critique, straw poll and supervote. A small team uses it to choose which solution sketches to prototype without a long open discussion.
What are the five steps of the Sticky Decision?▾
First the sketches are hung on the wall like an art museum. Then the team silently dots the interesting parts to form a heat map, critiques each sketch quickly against a timer, and places one vote each in a straw poll. Finally the Decider casts the supervote, which alone settles what gets built.
Who is the Decider?▾
The Decider is the person who has authority over the project, for example a founder, product owner or department head. The team's dots and straw-poll votes inform them, but their supervotes make the decision. Naming this role openly avoids a decision that looks democratic and is then overturned later.
How long does a Sticky Decision take?▾
Plan 60 to 120 minutes for a sprint team of four to seven people. The time depends mostly on the number of sketches, because each one gets its own short critique. The durations per step given here are our planning guidance; set the timer to fit your number of sketches.
How is the Sticky Decision different from dot voting?▾
Dot voting is a single step in which everyone places votes and the count decides or ranks. The Sticky Decision wraps voting in a longer script: silent review, a heat map of interesting parts, a timed critique, an advisory vote and then a final choice by one accountable person. It suits detailed sketches, while dot voting is enough for short lists of simple options.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky & Braden Kowitz (GV), 'Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days' (2016).