Using the DoView® name

Updated 11 May 2026

We want people to use the DoView name to help grow the DoView ecosystem.

DoView Planning, DoViews, DoView Boards, outcomes theory, and related DoView methods are intended to be widely used, taught, built on, adapted, implemented, and included in products, services, apps, platforms, systems, and AI tools.

This matters especially as AI becomes more widely used. If we do not clearly specify outcomes, intent, and purpose, AI systems may optimise activity rather than what actually matters. DoView Planning provides a practical way to help avoid this.

This page gives a short, user-friendly summary of our full DoView® Attribution & Trademark Use Policy. The full policy is here: https://doviewplanning.org/trademarkuse

The simple rule

You are welcome to use DoView®, DoView Planning, DoViews, and DoView Boards in the name or description of your own work, as long as your use is accurate and does not suggest official endorsement, certification, approval, quality assurance, affiliation, or production by us unless we have agreed in writing. Get in contact if you want such endorsement.

For example, you may use names or descriptions such as:

• DoView Cloud

• DoView AI

• MyDoView

• DoViewPro

• DoView-compatible board editor

• DoView Boards plugin

• training using DoView Planning

• consulting using DoView Boards

The key point is: it should just be clear what is yours and what is officially from DoView.

Please acknowledge DoView Planning

When you use the approach, or create DoViews, DoView Boards, or related DoView-based models, please acknowledge DoView Planning and Dr Paul Duignan.

A suitable acknowledgment is:

This work uses the DoView Planning approach and DoView Boards developed by Dr Paul Duignan. See DoViewPlanning.org.

For software, apps, platforms, repositories, or developer tools, this acknowledgment can go in a practical place such as an About page, README, documentation, help material, licence notice, settings screen, or acknowledgments page.

What we are happy for you to do

You may use DoView Planning, DoViews, DoView Boards, and related DoView tools and methods without paying any license fee in:

• internal planning

• strategy and implementation planning

• project planning

• outcomes planning

• evaluation and monitoring

• theories of change

• intervention logics

• program theories

• teaching, training, facilitation, and research

• consulting and paid client work

• reports, presentations, websites, and publications

• software, apps, platforms, systems, integrations, and AI tools

You may also build, adapt, extend, or integrate DoView-compatible boards, tools, features, and methods into other products and services again without paying any license fee.

You may charge for your own services, software, training, consulting, apps, platforms, or systems that use DoView Planning or DoView Boards, provided you follow the full policy.

Developers are encouraged to build with DoView

Developers are welcome to create DoView-compatible boards, apps, platforms, plugins, integrations, AI tools, and systems without paying any license fee.

You may say that your software:

• supports DoView Boards

• creates DoViews

• is DoView-compatible

• uses the DoView Planning approach

• implements the DoView Boards minimum standard, where that is accurate

A suitable software acknowledgment is:

This software supports DoView Boards using the DoView Planning approach developed by Dr Paul Duignan. See DoViewPlanning.org. This software is not affiliated with or endorsed by DoView®.

The only things that need permission

Please contact us first if you want to use official DoView logos, badges, certification marks, approval marks, compliance marks, quality marks, or wording that suggests official status.

Please do not say or imply that your work is:

• official

• endorsed by DoView

• approved by DoView

• certified by DoView

• quality-assured by DoView

• produced by DoView

• affiliated with DoView

• an official DoView partner

• entitled to use the DoView® Badge or Official DoView® Badge

unless we have agreed in writing.

Open-source material

Some DoView developer resources have been released, and more may be released, under Apache-2.0 or other open-source licences.

Those licences allow broad reuse of the relevant code or materials, including commercial reuse, subject to their terms.

This trademark policy is separate. Open-source licences do not, by themselves, give permission to claim official DoView status, endorsement, certification, approval, quality assurance, affiliation, or badge rights.

Please do not copy the whole website or handbook

Please do not copy or republish without our permission the whole DoViewPlanning.org website or the full DoView Planning and Outcomes Theory Handbook without permission. Get in touch if you want to do this.

You may use reasonable extracts with attribution. Please direct people to DoViewPlanning.org or the relevant book listing for the full materials.

We welcome collaboration

This policy is intended to be permissive.

We want people to use DoView Planning, build DoView-compatible tools, teach the approach, apply it in real-world work, and help grow the DoView ecosystem.

At the same time, we are just wanting to keep official DoView endorsement, certification, approval, quality assurance, logos, and badges clear.

For full details, please read the full policy at: https://doviewplanning.org/trademarkuse. Don’t hesitate to get in touchregarding this policy.