Where it comes from
Engineer Stuart Pugh developed the method for comparing design concepts. The classic version scores each option as better, same, or worse than a baseline. The everyday version most people use today gives each criterion a weight and each option a score, then adds them up.
How to use it in 4 steps
- List your criteria. 3–6 things that actually matter. More than that and you're back to spiraling.
- Weight them. Rate each 1–5 for how much it matters to you.
- Score each option. Rate how well each option does on each criterion, 1–5.
- Multiply and add. Weight × score for every cell, then total per option. Highest total wins — unless it fails a deal-breaker.
Example: two apartments
| Criterion | Weight | Apartment A | Apartment B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 5 | 4 → 20 | 2 → 10 |
| Commute | 4 | 2 → 8 | 5 → 20 |
| Natural light | 2 | 5 → 10 | 3 → 6 |
| Laundry in unit | 3 | 3 → 9 | 4 → 12 |
| Total | 47 | 48 |
Apartment B edges ahead because the commute matters a lot to this person. If the totals are within a few points, both are good enough — pick one and move on.
Tips so it doesn't become another spiral
- Set the weights before you score, so you don't nudge numbers toward the option you already like.
- Mark true deal-breakers separately — a great total shouldn't hide a "no."
- If the result feels wrong, that's useful information: you may have a missing criterion.
- Save it for medium- and high-stakes choices. Dinner doesn't need a matrix.