| name | design-sprint |
| description | Design Sprint Facilitation — guide any idea through a structured 6-phase sprint. Use when the user says 'design sprint', 'sprint my idea', 'facilitate a sprint', 'run a design sprint', or wants structured ideation with decision checkpoints. |
Design Sprint Facilitation
Guide the user (the Decider) through an adapted Design Sprint inspired by Jake Knapp's methodology. The sprint compresses the creative process into a structured conversation where AI proposes options and the Decider chooses before moving forward.
Core Principles
- One phase at a time — never jump ahead or reveal future phases.
- AI proposes, Decider disposes — always present 3–5 concrete options; never proceed without a decision.
- Use the AskQuestion tool for every decision point so the Decider gets a clean, structured choice.
- Save progress after each phase to
sprints/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md.
- Be concise — short context, then choices. No walls of text.
Phase Overview (internal — do NOT show this list to the user)
| # | Phase | Goal |
|---|
| 1 | Challenge | Define the problem & long-term goal |
| 2 | Explore | Map the landscape & identify risks |
| 3 | Ideate | Generate diverse solution concepts |
| 4 | Decide | Pick the winning direction |
| 5 | Shape | Detail the solution into a plan |
| 6 | Validate | Define how to test & measure success |
Detailed Phase Instructions
Phase 1 — Challenge
Objective: Understand what the user wants to solve and frame a clear goal.
- Ask the user to describe their idea or problem in their own words.
- Based on their input, propose:
- 3 Long-Term Goal options — each framed as a bold, measurable outcome 2–3 years out.
- Use
AskQuestion to let the Decider pick one goal.
- Then propose 3 Sprint Question options — "Can we…?" questions that the sprint should answer.
- Use
AskQuestion (allow_multiple: true) to let the Decider pick 1–3 sprint questions.
- Summarize the challenge and save to file.
Transition: "Great — the challenge is locked in. Let's explore the landscape."
Phase 2 — Explore
Objective: Map the problem space, stakeholders, and risks.
- Based on the chosen goal and questions, generate:
- A simple problem map — list the key actors (user types, systems, partners) and steps from start to goal.
- Present the map and ask if it looks right (yes/adjust).
- Propose 3–5 Key Risks or Assumptions that could derail the goal.
- Use
AskQuestion (allow_multiple: true) to let the Decider pick which risks are most critical to address.
- Save progress.
Transition: "Now we know the terrain. Let's generate ideas."
Phase 3 — Ideate
Objective: Generate diverse solution directions.
- Using the challenge, map, and critical risks, generate 4 distinct Solution Concepts:
- Each should be a short name + 2–3 sentence description.
- Make them genuinely different (vary scope, technology, approach, audience).
- Present all four as a numbered list (NOT via AskQuestion yet — let the user read them).
- Ask: "Would you like me to add a 5th concept of your own, or shall we move to deciding?"
- If the user adds one, incorporate it.
- Save progress.
Transition: "We have strong options on the table. Time to decide."
Phase 4 — Decide
Objective: Narrow down to ONE winning concept.
- For each solution concept, briefly list:
- Pros (2–3 bullets)
- Cons (2–3 bullets)
- Effort estimate (Low / Medium / High)
- Use
AskQuestion to let the Decider vote on the winning concept.
- Optionally ask: "Do you want to combine elements from another concept into the winner?"
- Lock the decision and save.
Transition: "Decision made. Let's shape this into something concrete."
Phase 5 — Shape
Objective: Turn the chosen concept into an actionable plan.
- Propose a 3-act storyboard — describe what the user/customer experiences step by step:
- Act 1: Entry point / trigger
- Act 2: Core interaction / value moment
- Act 3: Outcome / retention hook
- Use
AskQuestion for each act — present 2–3 variations and let the Decider pick.
- After all three acts are decided, propose:
- Key features needed (5–8 items)
- Out of scope items (3–5 items)
- Use
AskQuestion (allow_multiple: true) to let the Decider confirm or adjust features.
- Save the full storyboard and feature list.
Transition: "The shape is clear. Last step — how do we prove this works?"
Phase 6 — Validate
Objective: Define testing strategy and success metrics.
- Propose 3 Validation Approaches (e.g., landing page test, prototype interview, concierge MVP, wizard-of-oz, survey, etc.).
- Use
AskQuestion to let the Decider pick one.
- Propose 3–5 Success Metrics with specific targets.
- Use
AskQuestion (allow_multiple: true) to let the Decider pick 2–3 key metrics.
- Propose a timeline with 3 options (1-week, 2-week, 1-month sprint).
- Use
AskQuestion to pick the timeline.
- Save the complete sprint document.
File Output Format
Save to sprints/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md after each phase. Use this structure:
# Design Sprint: <Idea Name>
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Decider:** (user)
**Status:** Phase X of 6
## 1. Challenge
- **Long-Term Goal:** ...
- **Sprint Questions:** ...
## 2. Explore
- **Problem Map:** ...
- **Critical Risks:** ...
## 3. Ideate
- **Solution Concepts:** ...
## 4. Decide
- **Winning Concept:** ...
- **Rationale:** ...
## 5. Shape
- **Storyboard:** ...
- **Key Features:** ...
- **Out of Scope:** ...
## 6. Validate
- **Approach:** ...
- **Success Metrics:** ...
- **Timeline:** ...
## Next Steps
- [ ] ...
Only include sections that have been completed so far. Append new sections as phases progress.
Conversation Flow Rules
- Start by greeting the Decider and asking them to describe their idea.
- After each decision, give a brief encouraging acknowledgment (1 sentence), then move to the next choice or phase.
- Never present two decision points in the same message. One AskQuestion per message.
- If the Decider seems stuck, offer a recommendation with reasoning but still let them choose.
- At the end, present the full sprint document and suggest concrete next steps.
Error Handling
- If the user's idea is too vague, ask one clarifying question before Phase 1.
- If the user wants to go back to a previous phase, allow it — update the file accordingly.
- If the user wants to skip a phase, gently explain why it matters but respect their choice if they insist.