# Quadrant chart

A quadrant chart plots items against two dimensions, and its value is entirely in the axes you choose. Effort against impact is the classic pair, and the diagram is really a way of forcing that conversation.

Because it is text, people can move a dot during the meeting rather than after it.

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## When to reach for one

* Prioritisation workshops where everything is currently urgent.
* Risk assessment: likelihood against impact.
* Competitive or capability positioning.

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## How to draw it in Capable

| **Route**  | **Use when**                                              |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Mermaid    | A dedicated quadrant syntax; fastest to build and change. |
| Excalidraw | Workshops, where dragging dots around is the exercise.    |

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## A worked example

Effort against impact, with the quadrants named:

![Quadrant chart](https://help.gocapable.com/images/att1418100845.svg)

The source, which you can paste into a new diagram and edit:

```
quadrantChart
  title Roadmap prioritisation
  x-axis Low effort --> High effort
  y-axis Low impact --> High impact
  quadrant-1 Major projects
  quadrant-2 Quick wins
  quadrant-3 Not now
  quadrant-4 Thankless work
  Single sign-on: [0.75, 0.85]
  Dark mode: [0.35, 0.55]
  Bulk export: [0.25, 0.72]
  Audit log: [0.55, 0.65]
  Custom themes: [0.65, 0.25]
  Legacy import: [0.85, 0.30]
```

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## A few things that catch people out

* Name the quadrants. Unnamed quadrants leave everyone reading their own meaning into the corners.
* Positions are opinions. Record who placed them, and revisit after the work is done.
* Two axes only. A third dimension needs a different chart.

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## Related

[Charts and graphsCharts rendered from a text spec, on the page.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/charts-and-graphs.html)

[Sankey diagramFlows that split, merge and lose volume on the way.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/sankey-diagram.html)

[ExamplesWorking diagrams you can copy.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/examples.html)

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_Keep the numbers where people can check them._