The ToToTo Method is a prioritization technique to help decide whether or not to work on a design feature.
Year: 2017
Creative Heroes: Richard van Tol, Sander Huiberts
The ToToTo Method distinguishes three separate to-do lists based on ‘moments’ for when to work on a feature, indicating whether or not a certain feature is part of the final design:
- Today
This list contains all necessary features for the final design. Everything listed under Today is intended to be part of the final design in time of the deadline and therefore must be implemented. - Tomorrow
This list contains all non-necessary features for the final design. Everything listed under Tomorrow is not intended to be part of the final design in time of the deadline and therefore on hold until set to Today or Tonight. - Tonight
This list contains all so-called passion features for the final design. A passion feature is not necessary for the final design (which may launch without any at all) and is worked on in free time such as evening off-hours, weekends, or while in transit in the train, based on our individual available time and motivation.
The ToToTo Method is loosely inspired by the MoSCoW Method of prioritization (Must, Should, Could, Would). We have noticed that in our own practice (due to our very limited capacity) we mostly use Must for key features and file all other tasks and features under a single list Should+Could+Would. At the same time we usually keep a third list (“Creature Feep” – a pun on the phenomenon of feature creep) containing features we found worthwhile to invest in with our personal time.
Today in ToToTo therefore mostly compares to Must in MoScoW, and Tomorrow compares mostly to either Could or Would. Tonight in ToToTo has no equivalent in MoSCoW (we kind of see it like something different – Paris?).
Download the ToToTo Method Canvas PDF through this link or download a PNG:
