A design sprint is a 5-phase framework that helps teams answer critical business questions through rapid prototyping and user testing. The phases are: Map (understand the problem), Sketch (generate ideas), Decide (select the best concept), Prototype (build something testable), and Test (get user feedback). This process helps spark innovation, encourage user-centered design, align teams, and launch products faster. A key benefit is that it provides validated direction and user input to inform product development. Design sprints are best for when a team needs clarity on a new opportunity or is stuck on an issue.

1. DESIGN SPRINTTESTING IDEAS AND SOLVING THE BIG PROBLEMS

2. What is a Design Sprint?
A design sprint is a five-phase framework that helps answer cri8cal business
ques8ons through rapid prototyping and user tes8ng. Sprints let your team
reach clearly defined goals and deliverables and gain key learnings, quickly. The
process helps spark innova8on, encourage user-centered thinking, align your
team under a shared vision, and get you to product launch faster.

3. While a Design Sprint requires focus and commitment from a team, it
can provide validated direc8on and reliable input from customers or
users. It should be considered as part of a Product Team’s journey
towards accomplishing its objec8ve rather than a “tax” on produc8vity.
When to do a Sprint?
Answers big ques-ons, provides clarity to the whole team at once
Tests concepts with real users, validates or invalidates assump-ons
Brings teams together to collaborate in a facilitated, user-centric methodology
NEW OPPORTUNITY
When a Product Team achieves a previous
objec8ve or a new opportunity arises and
can benefit from the focus a Design Sprint
NEW TEAM
When a team is formed and needs to
validated a goal and direc8on for future
product development
GRIDLOCKED TEAM
Some8mes a team can’t get past a current
roadblock and needs to chart a new course

4. MAP
Study the experience, ask the
experts, select a target
SKETCH
Put ideas on paper, mix and
improve
DECIDE
Storyboard concepts, discuss,
vote on a winner
PROTOTYPE
Build something you can test
with
TEST
Put the prototype in front of
users, listen and learn
INTERPRET
Did you clarify the goal and
answer any big ques8ons?
What do we do in a Design Sprint?
○

5. A Design Sprint is setup as a framework that supports both divergent thinking (free-form crea8ve brainstorming) and convergent thinking (linear,
logical thinking). It is primarily for a small team who is focused on a specific problem or goal. The end result of a successful Design Sprint is a
clear direc8onal indica8on and validated (or invalidated) concept that can serve as a launching point for a new product, feature or service.
How is this different than what we normally do?
The main difference between a design sprint and our normal product development cycle is that everyone on the team par8cipates evenly in all
aspects of the process and collaborates in a design centric approach.
UNDERSTAND SKETCH DECIDE PROTOTYPE
Phases and Methods
VALIDATE
○

6. Phase 1 - Defining the Goal
Design Sprint
Establish goal
• Set long term goal - Why are we doing this?
• Where do we want to be in 6 months/1 year?
• Should reflect team’s principles and aspira8ons
Sprint questions
• What ques8ons do we want to answer in this sprint?
• To meet our long term goal, what has to be true?
• Imagine a future where this project fails, what might have
caused this?

7. Make a map
• Show user’s moving through experience
• User map to narrow challenge to a specific target
• On the leW - show users/actors
• On the right - end states
• Should include all major steps
• Tells a story with beginning, middle and end
Interview the experts
• Can be from the team or from outside it
• Everyone takes notes individually
• Use “How Might We” format
• Organize and consolidate notes
Phase 1 - Choosing the Target
Design Sprint
Choose theTarget

8. Phase 2 - Draw Conclusions
Design Sprint
Lightning demos
• Everyone makes a list of products or
services to review for inspira8on
• 3 minute demos of each
• Capture ideas as you go - sketch “what
you saw”
Sketch
• Sketch solu8on - best idea
• 3 panel storyboards
• Guidelines:
• Should be self explanatory
• Anonymous
• Ugly is ok
• Words ma`er
• Give it a catch 8tle
Boot up
• Each team member works individually
• Boot-up process:
• Gather notes
• Jot down rough ideas
• Crazy 8’s

9. Phase 3 - Decision Day
Design Sprint
Review process
• Hang up sketches in a “Gallery”
• Heat mapping - dots indicate areas of
interest across all concepts
• Quick discussion of highlights for each
solu8on
• Straw poll - each person votes with a
dot
• Supervote - Decider places final vote
Storyboards
• Illustrate each element in the
prototype to show how it will work
• Grid out interac8ons, elements and
experiences
○
Select the Concept Time to build

10. Phase 4 - Fake it
Phase 5 - Test and Interpret
Design Sprint
Prototype for testing
• Prototype can be anything
• Can be working code or mockups
• Should be disposable, nothing sacred
• Build enough to learn, no more
• Must be realis8c
Interview and learn
• Talk to users
• Gather feedback
• Test against ini8al ques8ons
• Look for pa`erns
• Debrief and learn as a team
Test with users
Interpret results

11. At the end of the sprint its important to understand what to do with
what you learned. Usually there is a clear path forward but its
important to take a few key cons8tuencies into account as well as
figuring out next steps as a team.
Validation &
Interpretation Methods
USER TESTING
The main focus of the 5th phase is
tes8ng with users and gehng
real-8me feedback on design and
direc8on
STAKEHOLDER REVIEW
Gehng feedback from leadership
can be cri8cal, even early on in
the sprint process
TECHNICAL REVIEW
If you don’t have a developer on
the team (which you should) or if
you need addi8onal valida8on
from an engineer make sure you
bring them into the process.
RECAP AND NEXT STEPS
Sit down as a team and discuss
how to proceed. Typically
technology spikes and addi8onal
design experiments will be clear.

12. A design sprint is a five-phase framework that helps answer cri8cal
business ques8ons through rapid prototyping and user tes8ng.
Sprints let your team reach clearly defined goals and deliverables and
gain key learnings, quickly. The process helps spark innova8on,
encourage user-centered thinking, align your team under a shared
vision, and get you to product launch faster.
Resources
h"ps://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/
HOW MIGHT WE
take the insights and pain points and
reframe them as opportuni8es
JOURNEY MAPPING
Dive deep into the user’s experience
STORYBOARD
Define step by step what you will build
Sprint Book on Amazon

13. Getting Started
ESTABLISH A GOAL
Set long term goal - Why are we doing this?
Where do we want to be in 6 months/1 year?
Should reflect team’s principles and aspira-ons
SELECT TEAM
Facilitator
Product Manager
Design Lead
Dev Lead
+ other
+ other
+ other
Decider