T-shirt sizing
T-shirt sizing is a relative estimation technique that classifies work items into coarse categories such as XS, S, M, L, and XL.
Think Like a Software Engineering Manager
T-shirt sizing is a relative estimation technique that classifies work items into size categories such as Large, Medium, Small, and Extra Small.
- How it is used
- Provides an initial workload estimate for high-level project tasks before granular estimation and resourcing decisions.
- How deep it goes
- Gives a customizable four-category scale and next steps, but no detailed sizing procedure.
- Examples
- Illustrates Large, Medium, Small, and Extra Small with sample efforts of 12, 8, 4, and 2 weeks.
- What you can do after
- Practice/perform high-level sizing and use estimates to discuss capacity, scope, timelines, or resources.
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Lead Developer Career Guide
An estimation technique that assigns relative size categories such as XS, S, M, L, and XL to work items.
- How it is used
- Supports agile project estimation by comparing work items through relative effort categories.
- How deep it goes
- Defines the size scale and estimation factors, but does not provide a detailed sizing procedure.
- Examples
- Uses search-page, filter, result, and search-functionality tasks to illustrate increasing relative effort.
- What you can do after
- Apply relative size categories to compare the effort of project tasks.
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Related concepts
- backloguses · A backlog is a collection of pending work items or orders awaiting prioritization, processing, fulfillment, or completion.
- story pointused by · A story point is an abstract relative unit for estimating the size or effort of a software work item, independent of elapsed time.
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