Use this tier list template to evaluate and rank concepts or ideas with a team. You can use a custom tier list as either an icebreaker activity to warm up a team, or as a prioritization method for many different ideas.
A tier list is a visual ranking system that helps teams prioritize, categorize, and evaluate items, ideas, or concepts. Each item is placed in a specific tier, ranging from the highest (S-tier) to the lowest (F-tier) based on its importance, quality, or relevance.
Tier list template benefits
- Create a discussion and build engagement
- Prioritize items based on quality or other subjective criteria
- Improve clarity and alignment with a team
- Create ownership and buy-in
How to use the tier list template
While most tier list makers aren’t too complicated, these steps can help you get started with your team.
1. Define the purpose of your tier list
Whether you’re prioritizing ideas from a brainstorming session, or just running a quick icebreaker with your team, define the category of the items you’ll be evaluating. For an icebreaker activity, choose a category where your team has a base level of familiarity.
For example, this could be fast food restaurants, cereal varieties, popular tv shows, NFL teams, or even video games. A common use for tier lists is to rank animated tv shows (anime, for the uninitiated).
2. Add your subjects to the canvas
If you don’t already have the ideas or items you want to rank, start adding them to the blank tier list canvas. You can add online images and thumbnails, gifs, imported media, or sticky notes to symbolize what you’re evaluating.
3. Start ranking your items
Start adding your items to the tier list with Mural’s simple drag-and-drop features. You can always shift items around, so just start adding ideas now and move them around later.
4. Finalize your list
After you’ve ranked your items on the tier list, start making note of what items ranked in the highest tiers.
Once consensus is reached, finalize the tier list and use it as a guide for decision-making, task prioritization, of project planning.
5. Share or export your tier list
Now that you’ve prioritized your items, share your tier list with other team members and compare, or export the tier list as a png to save the image.
Tips for creating your own tier list
- Set clear criteria: Ensure that the criteria for each tier are well-defined and agreed upon by the team. This minimizes confusion and ensures a fair ranking process.
- Customize your tier list: You can change the background colors, text fonts, sticky notes, and more. Be sure to customize the tier list to your own preferences.
- Encourage teams to make their own tier list: Now it might be hard to create the perfect tier list with a team, so you could also have each team member create their own tier list and compare afterward.
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