Design principles - Design sprints
Design sprints are a time-boxed, collaborative design process aimed at solving complex problems.
Design sprints often take place over the course of 5 days, for example using the following approach on each day. However, a design sprint can also run over a longer period of time.
Running a design sprint
To run a successful design sprint, you'll need to gather together a team. The team should be comprised of people who understand the problem, and people who can design and test solutions.
You should include users and other stakeholders that may be impacted by the problem.
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1 Define the problem
Define the problem you want to solve and make sure everyone on the team understands it. Use a problem statement to help focus the team's efforts.
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2 Conduct research
By following these steps, you can run a design sprint and create a solution to a complex problem.
The artifacts produced during the sprint can be used to communicate ideas, make decisions, and track progress throughout the process.
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3 Sketch ideas
Encourage the team to sketch their ideas and solutions. This can be done individually or as a group.
Examples of outputs: Sketches of potential solutions, mind maps, notes.
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4 Decide on solutions
Review the sketches and decide on the best solutions. This may involve voting, discussion, or a combination of both.
Examples of outputs: Dot voting results, decision matrix -
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5 Build a prototype
Build a prototype of the chosen solution. This can be a low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototype, depending on the complexity of the solution.
Examples of outputs: Low or high-fidelity prototypes, wireframes, storyboards.
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6 Test with users
Test the prototype with users and gather feedback. This can be done through user testing, surveys, or interviews.
Examples of outputs: User testing results, feedback notes, survey results.
By following these steps, you can run a design sprint and create a solution to a complex problem.
The artifacts produced during the sprint can be used to communicate ideas, make decisions, and track progress throughout the process.
