design-sprint

# Design Sprint Framework A five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers. Developed at Google Ventures and used by Google, Slack, Airbnb, and hundreds of startups. ## Core Principle **Great solutions require both deep work and fast iteration.** The Design Sprint compresses months of debate, design, and testing into a single week, creating focus and urgency that eliminates endless discussion. **The foundation:** Traditional product development wastes months building the wrong thing. Design Sprints de-risk product decisions by testing with real users before writing production code. ## Scoring **Goal: 10/10.** When planning or executing a Design Sprint, rate it 0-10 based on adherence to the principles below. A 10/10 means proper structure, time-boxing, prototyping, and user testing; lower scores indicate skipping steps or insufficient testing. Always provide the current score and specific improvements needed to reach 10/10. ## The 5-Day Sprint Process ``` Monday → Tuesday → Wednesday → Thursday → Friday Map Sketch Decide Prototype Test ``` **Prerequisites:** - **Big challenge:** Important problem worth a week's focus - **Right team:** Decision maker + 4-7 people with diverse expertise - **Time commitment:** 5 full days (10am-5pm), no interruptions - **Space:** Dedicated room with whiteboards **Sprint Master:** One person facilitates, keeps time, manages energy. ## Monday: Map **Goal:** Understand the problem and choose a target for the week. ### Morning: Start at the End **Exercise: Long-term goal** - Write the sprint question: "What do we want to be true in 2 years?" - Example: "Customers use our product daily" or "We've captured 20% market share" **Exercise: Sprint questions** - List obstacles and unknowns as questions - Example: "Will customers trust us with payment info?" or "Can first-time users figure out the interface?" **Format:** Write on whiteboard, entire team contributes ### Afternoon: Map the Challenge **Exercise: Map the customer journey** 1. List actors (different types of customers/users) 2. Draw the journey from start to finish (left to right on whiteboard) 3. Keep it simple: 5-15 steps max 4. Example: "Hears about product → Visits site → Signs up → First use → Becomes regular user" **Exercise: Ask the Experts** - Interview team members with specialized knowledge - CEO, designer, engineer, customer support, sales - Take detailed notes on whiteboard - Capture "How Might We" notes (HMW) **Exercise: How Might We (HMW) notes** - Rephrase problems as opportunities - "Customers don't understand pricing" → HMW make pricing immediately clear? - Write each HMW on a sticky note - Vote on best HMWs, organize on map ### End of Day: Pick a Target **Exercise: Choose the target** - Which part of the map (customer journey) will you focus on? - Where's the biggest risk or opportunity? - Example: "We'll focus on the first 10 minutes after signup" **Decider:** The person with authority makes the final call. **Monday output:** - Long-term goal - Sprint questions - Customer journey map - Expert insights - HMW notes organized - Target customer and moment See: [references/monday.md](references/monday.md) for detailed Monday exercises and facilitation. ## Tuesday: Sketch **Goal:** Generate solutions. Each person sketches a detailed solution. ### Morning: Lightning Demos **Exercise: Find inspiration** - Look at competitors and analogous products - 3-minute demos: "Here's what I found, here's why it's interesting" - Capture good ideas on whiteboard - Don't limit to your industry—borrow from anywhere **Exercise: Divide or swarm** - Divide: If map has multiple parts, different people tackle different sections - Swarm: If one critical problem, everyone tackles the same thing - Most sprints = swarm ### Afternoon: The Four-Step Sketch **Goal:** Everyone individually sketches a detailed solution (not as a group!) **Step 1: Notes (20 minutes)** - Walk around room, review map, HMWs, inspiration - Take notes silently **Step 2: Ideas (20 minutes)** - Rough doodles, mind maps, stick figures - Quantity over quality - Still working alone **Step 3: Crazy 8s (8 minutes)** - Fold paper into 8 sections - Sketch 8 variations in 8 minutes (1 minute each) - Forces you past first idea - Can be 8 variations on one idea or 8 different ideas **Step 4: Solution Sketch (30-90 minutes)** - 3-panel storyboard showing customer experience - Step 1 → Step 2 → Step 3 (beginning, middle, end) - Make it self-explanatory (someone should understand without you explaining) - Use text, arrows, simple drawings - Give it a catchy title - **Anonymous:** Don't put your name on it **Critical:** No group brainstorming. Individual work produces better, more diverse ideas. **Tuesday output:** - Each person has a detailed solution sketch - Sketches are anonymous and self-explanatory See: [references/tuesday.md](references/tuesday.md) for sketching templates and examples. ## Wednesday: Decide **Goal:** Critique solutions and choose the best one to prototype and test. ### Morning: Sticky Decision **Exercise: Art museum** - Tape solution sketches to wall - Give everyone dot stickers - Silently review sketches (no talking!) - Put dots next to interesting parts **Exercise: Heat map review** - Discuss each sketch for 3 minutes - Facilitator narrates: "Here they see X, then click Y..." - Sketcher stays silent (don't reveal yourself yet) - Team calls out interesting parts - Scribe captures standout ideas on whiteboard **Exercise: Straw poll** - Each person votes for one solution (put one large dot) - Explain your vote in 1 sentence - This is non-binding, just to see preferences **Decider:** Person with authority gets three large dots (supervote). Their decision wins. ### Afternoon: Rumble or All-in-One **If multiple winners:** - **Rumble:** Competing prototypes (test different approaches) - **All-in-One:** Combine best ideas into one prototype **Most sprints:** All-in-one (simpler to prototype and test) **Exercise: Storyboard** - Draw 10-15 panel storyboard (comic book style) - Each panel = one screen or step - Opening scene: How customer discovers you - Middle: Your solution in action - Ending: Successful outcome - Include just enough detail for Friday's prototype **Storyboard rules:** - Keep it simple - Use stick figures - Words and arrows okay - Get specific about UI - 10-15 panels max **Wednesday output:** - Winning solution(s) chosen - Detailed storyboard ready to prototype See: [references/wednesday.md](references/wednesday.md) for decision exercises and storyboard templates. ## Thursday: Prototype **Goal:** Build a realistic facade. You need something to test on Friday. **Prototype mindset:** - Fake it - Prototype only what you'll test - Goldilocks quality: not too high, not too low (realistic enough to get honest reactions) - One day only **Prototype fidelity:** - **Too low:** Sketches, wireframes (customers can't react realistically) - **Too high:** Working code, pixel-perfect design (wastes time) - **Just right:** Looks real, doesn't work real (facades, click-through, video) ### Assign Roles **Makers** (2+ people): - Designer, writer, asset collector (images, icons) - Build the prototype **Stitcher** (1 person): - Combines pieces into final prototype - Usually in Keynote, Figma, or prototyping tool **Writer** (1 person): - Writes all copy - Headlines, button labels, descriptions **Collector** (1-2 people): - Gathers assets (photos, icons, competitor screenshots) - Provides raw materials **Interviewer** (1 person): - Writes interview script for Friday - Practices interviewing **Sprint Master:** - Helps where needed - Keeps energy up ### Build the Prototype **Tools:** - **Web/App:** Figma, Keynote, PowerPoint (linked slides) - **Physical Product:** Video walkthrough, 3D-printed mockup - **Service:** Role-play video, scripted interaction **Thursday morning:** - Divide storyboard into scenes - Assign scenes to makers - Start building **Thursday afternoon:** - Stitch together - Review as team (does it match storyboard?) - Rehearse for Friday (run through entire flow) - Trial run (test with someone not on sprint team) **Prototype checklist:** - [ ] Follows storyboard exactly - [ ] Looks real enough to get honest reactions - [ ] Can walk through in 5-15 minutes - [ ] Interviewer knows how to present it - [ ] Trial run completed **Thursday output:** - Realistic prototype ready to test - Interview script written - Interview room prepared See: [references/thursday.md](references/thursday.md) for prototyping tools and techniques. ## Friday: Test **Goal:** Interview 5 customers, learn what works and what doesn't. ### Setup **Interview room:** - Quiet space with table, 2 chairs - Laptop with prototype - Camera recording screen and customer face **Observation room:** - Separate room with live video feed - Team watches together - Whiteboard for notes **Roles:** - **Interviewer:** Conducts all 5 interviews - **Team:** Watches, takes notes ### The Five-Act Interview **Act 1: Friendly Welcome (5 min)** - Greet warmly - Explain you're testing prototype, not them - Ask permission to record - Encourage thinking aloud **Act 2: Context Questions (5 min)** - Ask about their background - Example: "Tell me about how you currently handle [problem]" - Goal: Understand their mindset and current behavior **Act 3: Introduce the Prototype (5 min)** - Show landing page or entry point - "What's this? What do you think it's for?" - Don't explain—let them interpret - Note: Do they get it? **Act 4: Tasks and Nudges (15 min)** - Give open-ended task: "Go ahead and explore" - Follow with specific tasks from storyboard: "Try to [complete action]" - Use nudges when stuck: "What would you do next?" or "What's going through your mind?" - Don't help—watch them struggle - Encourage thinking aloud **Act 5: Debrief (5 min)** - "What did you think overall?" - "Who is this for?" - "What worked? What was confusing?" - Ask about specific parts you're uncertain about **Interview length:** ~30 minutes per customer **Between interviews:** - 30-minute break - Team discusses observations - Update questions if needed ### Five Is the Magic Number **Why 5 customers?** - Patterns emerge after 3-5 people - Diminishing returns after 5 - Doable in one day (5 × 1 hour = 5 hours with breaks) **Who to recruit:** - Target customers (match your personas) - Screener survey to qualify - Incentive ($100-$200 for B2B, $50-$100 for B2C) - Schedule 6 (expect 1 no-show) ### Take Notes: Pattern Recognition **While watching interviews, team captures:** | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | |----------|----------|----------|----------|----------| | Customer 1 notes | Customer 2 notes | Customer 3 notes | Customer 4 notes | Customer 5 notes | **Mark with ✓, ✗, or ~:** - ✓ Positive reaction, success - ✗ Negative reaction, failure - ~ Neutral or mixed **After all 5 interviews:** - Look for patterns (did all 5 struggle with the same thing?) - Count ✓ ✗ ~ per row - Identify what worked and what failed ### End-of-Sprint Debrief **Organize findings:** **✓ What worked:** - Features/flows that all customers understood - Messaging that resonated - Design that felt intuitive **✗ What failed:** - Confusing terminology - Missing steps - Wrong assumptions **~ Mixed results:** - Some got it, some didn't - Unclear if it matters **Next steps:** - **If core concept validated:** Build it (or next sprint on details) - **If major issues:** Pivot or next sprint to solve problems - **If totally failed:** Back to drawing board (but you saved months!) **Friday output:** - Interview videos - Pattern notes - Clear list of what works, what doesn't - Decision on next steps See: [references/friday.md](references/friday.md) for interview scripts and note-taking templates. ## When to Run a Design Sprint **Run a sprint when:** - High-stakes decision - Not enough time to build and test normally - Team is stuck in endless debate - Multiple solutions possible - New product, feature, or major redesign - Need to de-risk before investing **Don't run a sprint when:** - Problem is clear and solution is obvious - You just need to execute - Team isn't bought in - Can't get decision maker for full week ## Variations **4-Day Sprint:** - Day 1: Map + Sketch (compressed) - Day 2: Decide - Day 3: Prototype - Day 4: Test **Remote Sprint:** - Use Miro/FigJam for whiteboarding - Zoom for meetings - Same schedule, digital tools **Multi-Sprint:** - Sprint 1: Broad problem, choose direction - Sprint 2: Deep dive on chosen solution - Sprint 3: Refine details ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix | |---------|-------------|------| | **Skip prototyping** | Nothing to test | Always prototype, even if simple | | **Over-engineer prototype** | Waste time on details that don't matter | Facade only, not working code | | **Test with wrong users** | Invalid feedback | Screen for target customers | | **Explain prototype to users** | Defeats the test | Let them struggle, observe confusion | | **No decision maker** | Can't commit to decision | Get Decider for full week or don't sprint | | **Interruptions** | Breaks focus | Protect the week, no meetings/emails | ## Quick Diagnostic Audit any sprint plan: | Question | If No | Action | |----------|-------|--------| | Do we have a Decider for full week? | Sprint will fail | Get commitment or postpone | | Is the problem important enough? | Waste of time | Only sprint on big challenges | | Can we prototype in 1 day? | Wrong problem for sprint | Choose more concrete problem | | Can we recruit 5 target users? | Can't test properly | Start recruiting now (2 weeks ahead) | | Will team commit to no interruptions? | Won't maintain focus | Get buy-in from leadership | ## Reference Files - [monday.md](references/monday.md): Map exercises, HMW notes, target selection - [tuesday.md](references/tuesday.md): Sketching templates, Crazy 8s, solution sketches - [wednesday.md](references/wednesday.md): Decision exercises, storyboard templates - [thursday.md](references/thursday.md): Prototyping tools, techniques, checklists - [friday.md](references/friday.md): Interview scripts, note-taking, pattern analysis - [facilitation.md](references/facilitation.md): Sprint Master guide, time-boxing, energy management - [recruiting.md](references/recruiting.md): User recruitment, screener surveys, scheduling - [case-studies.md](references/case-studies.md): Slack, Blue Bottle Coffee, Savioke, and more - [remote-sprints.md](references/remote-sprints.md): Adapting sprint for distributed teams ## Further Reading This skill is based on the Design Sprint process developed at Google Ventures. For the complete methodology, exercises, and case studies: