Image by Amélie Mourichon on Unsplash
Effort: ⚒⚒⚒
Cost: ＄＄＄
Timeframe: ⏲⏲
Participants: Development Teams
Approach
A “design sprint” is an intensive workshop lasting several days where the participants develop a human-centered solution for a real problem in product or service innovation. To generate as many creative ideas as possible, the development team that completes the Design Sprint should be as diverse as possible. The combination of creativity techniques and the participants’ diverse characteristics help the group think outside the box and develop new innovative solutions.
Often, a Design Sprint takes place over a working week, with each of the five workshop days representing a different phase in the Design Thinking process:
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Monday
Explore, understand, and the problem. -
Tuesday
Sketch solutions. -
Wednesday
Choose a solution. -
Thursday
Create a prototype. -
Friday
Validate the prototype.
An individual who is not a development team member but who has received Design Thinking training will moderate the workshop. He or she has the diversity expertise needed to facilitate an open and inclusive workshop.
Effect
The Design Sprint solution is later implemented as a new product or service, bringing tangible benefits to the business. In this way, the comparatively high costs of this measure can be offset entirely.
The Design Sprint is an intensive experience for the development team, in which team members get to know each other from a different perspective than they would in their usual day-to-day jobs.
The Design Sprint helps the organization evolve by encouraging participants’ professional growth and social skills. Over time this results in increased engagement and strengthens group dynamics.