Prune the Product Tree Template
Organize and prioritize product feature requests from customers and internal stakeholders.
About the Prune the Product Tree Template
Prune the Product Tree (also known as the product tree game or the product tree prioritization framework) is a visual tool created by Luke Hohmann that helps product managers organize and prioritize product feature requests. The tree represents a product roadmap and helps your team think about how to grow and shape your product or service.
What is Prune the Product Tree
Prune the product tree helps product management teams gamify the juggling of feedback and opinions from customers and internal stakeholders.
A product tree usually has four symbolic features:
Trunk: Existing product features your team is currently building
Branches: Each branch represents primary product or system functions (you can also leave room for more branches to “grow”)
Roots: Technical requirements or infrastructure that make your listed features possible
Leaves: Each leaf represents a new idea for a product feature
You can also adapt the image as needed to suit your team discussions and business priorities. For example, apples hanging off a tree can represent a return on investment, and seed baskets under the tree can symbolize deprioritized ideas.
Create your own version of Prune the Product Tree
Making your own versions of Prune the Product Tree is easy. Miro is the perfect tool to create and share them. Get started by selecting the Prune the Product Tree Template, then take the following steps to make one.
Frame the activity for teams new to the game. For anyone who needs context, spend a few minutes guiding everyone through the exercise. The features found closest to the tree trunk represent near-term priorities. Features on the branches’ outer arms represent long-term future plans. The challenge is to prioritize near-term, current, and future product plans.
Grow each part of the tree to prioritize feature requests. You can cluster groups of features (drafted on sticky notes) around labeled branches or sub-branches (with text boxes). Avoid turning this into an idea generation activity. You want your team to focus on what features are both feasible and desirable.
Discuss each part of the tree as a group. When the tree is full of sticky note “leaves,” you can ask questions to kickstart a productive conversation. Ask each other if anyone thinks branches are too heavy. You can also ask if any feature categories are unexpected, if any feature requirements need more user research, or if the tree roots have the necessary infrastructure to make features viable. Consider dot voting with Miro’s Voting Plugin to figure out what features should be further explored.
Turn the prioritization outcomes into a product roadmap. Prune the Product Tree works as a standalone activity. You can also translate your findings into a product roadmap to shape new features you’ll focus on first from quarter to quarter.
Get started with this template right now.
Storyboard for Product Development Template
Works best for:
Storyboard
Plan your product’s journey from concept to market with the Storyboard for Product Development template. It outlines every stage of development, including ideation, research, design, testing, and launch. This template promotes clarity, resource planning, and effective communication across teams, making it perfect for product managers and developers who need a comprehensive roadmap to bring innovative ideas to life.
Service Blueprint by Daily Creations
Works best for:
Research & Design
Enhance your service design with the Service Blueprint template. This tool maps out the customer journey and backstage processes, helping you visualize and improve service delivery. It's perfect for aligning teams, identifying inefficiencies, and ensuring a seamless customer experience. Use this template to create a detailed roadmap of your service processes, fostering collaboration and strategic improvements in service design.
3x3 Prioritization Method Template
Works best for:
Operations, Prioritization, Strategic Planning
It’s all about assessing a task or idea, and quickly deciding the effort it will take and the potential impact it will have—ranked low, medium, or high. That’s what the 3x3 prioritization method does: Help teams prioritize and identify quick wins, big projects, filler tasks, or time-wasters. With nine bucket areas, it offers slightly greater detail than the 2x2 Prioritization Matrix (or Lean Prioritization Method). It’s easy to make your own 3x3 prioritization matrix—then use it to determine what activities or ideas to focus on with your valuable resources.
Cluster Analysis Template
Works best for:
Design
When you're working with others, you might encounter situations where there's too much information to handle, or you're unsure about the direction to take. In such cases, using the Cluster Analysis Template can be helpful. It allows you to group similar items together and make sense of them, whether feedback or creative ideas. This method is straightforward and provides clarity amidst confusion.
UX Project Canvas Template
Works best for:
User Experience, UX Design, Market Research
Inspired by Alexander Osterwalder's 2005 business model canvas, the project canvas will help your team visualize the big picture of your UX and design projects, providing a convenient structure that holds all of your important data. This innovative tool enables you to transform an idea into a project plan, stimulating collaboration and communication between collaborators. Unlike alternative models, the project canvas is a simple interface. There are few startup costs, and employees can easily be brought up to speed to start using the canvas quickly.
Logic Model by Natalie Poindexter
Works best for:
Roadmap, Planning
The Logic Model is a comprehensive planning and evaluation tool that serves as a roadmap for project implementation and assessment. It visually represents the connections between project activities, outputs, and intended outcomes.