Comparison (2–3 options)
Show two or three options so the recommended choice is obvious.
Related: 2×2 matrix
When to use
Use when the room must pick among alternatives. Do not use for a single recommendation with no foil. Do not use four-plus options on one slide.
Guidelines
Equal columns. Highlight the recommended column with a board-rule outline, not a new rainbow. Title states the pick.
Example
Harbor cutover
Wave the cutover; a single weekend is cheaper only on paper.
Big bang
Lowest vendor hours. Highest stockout risk. No rollback.Three waves
Dual-run cost for 10 weeks. Rollback per site. Protects peak season.Pilot only
Safe, but Harbor value slips a year. Board already rejected delay.Northline ops model · fictional
Three options, middle recommended. Steal equal columns + action title, not a SWOT dump.
Rules
- Two or three columns only.
- Title names the recommended option (or names why one fails).
- Criteria are the same across columns; do not change units mid-row.
- Mark the recommendation with
recommendedstyling, not a new color system.
User recipe
Pick family: Consulting exhibit first.
Insert objects:
- Text: title naming the recommendation, kicker, source line
- Comparison column: one per option (2–3 columns)
Assemble:
- Equal-width columns
- Same criteria in each column
- Mark recommended column
- No mixed units mid-row
Anti-patterns
- Four options squeezed until type is unreadable.
- A 2×2 pretending to be a comparison (use matrix-2x2).
- Title “Options.”