{"id":8447,"date":"2023-05-15T16:58:08","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T16:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=8447"},"modified":"2024-01-16T12:38:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T12:38:35","slug":"how-do-design-sprints-ux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/how-do-design-sprints-ux\/","title":{"rendered":"How do design sprints work in UX?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design can be time-consuming. It\u2019s challenging to come up with UX solutions that satisfy users\u2019 needs, especially when those solutions require a novel or innovative approach. This is where design sprints come in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A design sprint is an intense, focused process in which a small team designs and tests a solution to a big design challenge. Design sprints typically take place over five days, although the process is flexible enough to accommodate a shorter or longer time period as required.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this post, we\u2019ll explore how to conduct a design sprint from start to finish, discuss the outcomes you can expect, and outline the pros and cons of design sprints. Here are the topics we\u2019ll cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#when-to-run-a-design-sprint\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When to run a design sprint<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#members-of-the-design-sprint-team\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Members of the design sprint team<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#preparing-for-the-sprint\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparing for the sprint<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#conducting-the-sprint\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducting the sprint<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#outcomes-of-a-design-sprint\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outcomes of a design sprint<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#pros-and-cons-of-a-design-sprint\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pros and cons of a design sprint<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_professional-diploma-in-ux-designp-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=blog_panel_pdux&utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n                    <span>Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2><strong><a id=\"when-to-run-a-design-sprint\"><\/a>When to run a design sprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jake Knapp developed design sprints for Google Ventures over a decade ago, and the process was quickly embraced by UX teams everywhere. The goal of a UX design sprint isn\u2019t to come up with a finished product, it\u2019s to jumpstart creative thinking on difficult problems in order to get the design team headed in the right direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, design sprints aren\u2019t the best option for tackling every UX problem. Instead, design sprints should be reserved for specific circumstances. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/miro.com\/blog\/design-sprint-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">blog for the collaborative whiteboard platform Miro<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> suggests that design sprints should only be conducted if one or more of the following conditions is met:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team must reach a solution quickly<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The challenge or problem the team is tackling is particularly large and complicated<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The design team is stuck<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"members-of-the-design-sprint-team\"><\/a>Members of the design sprint team<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before a design sprint can start, it\u2019s important to assemble a team. The team should include only five to eight members to ensure the process is easy to manage and the quick pace of the sprint is maintained. The team should include people with different expertise and skills in order to ensure a range of perspectives is represented. This usually consists of:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A facilitator:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Also referred to as the \u201csprint master\u201d, this is the person responsible for preparing, organising, and running the sprint. The facilitator recruits the sprint team and ensures it has everything it needs during the sprint. In addition to keeping the team on track throughout the sprint, they also make sure that everyone participates and is heard. This is usually a UX designer or project manager who has a deep understanding of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-design-process\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design process<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A marketing expert:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An individual who can determine if the solution can be solved.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A customer service representative:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Someone who can provide insight into the product\u2019s users.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A designer:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An individual with knowledge of UX and design.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A developer:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Someone who can build a prototype and advise the team on potential technical limitations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The decider:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The individual who has the final word on decisions throughout the sprint. This can be a senior officer at the company if they have the time to join the sprint, or it can be someone else who the other team members trusts will make smart, unbiased decisions. One of the team members listed above can be the decider or a separate individual can be brought in to take on this responsibility.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"preparing-for-the-sprint\"><\/a>Preparing for the sprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparing for a sprint includes the following steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facilitator writes a brief for team members and stakeholders to ensure they are prepared and supportive of the sprint. The brief should explain the problem the sprint is solving, the deliverables that will come out of it, the background of the project, and the schedule for each day of the sprint.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-user-research\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> should be conducted and compiled before the sprint. This information should then be shared with the team to ensure the sprint stays user-centric.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts from inside and outside the organisation should be enlisted to give brief talks that provide insight into the problem the team is planning to tackle during the sprint.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facilitator should book a dedicated space, such as a conference room, for the duration of the sprint.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facilitator should stock the room where the sprint will take place with supplies, including Post-it notes, whiteboards, and markers, to ensure the sprint runs smoothly without interruptions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facilitator will share the rules of the sprint with the team, including that everyone is expected to attend the sprint without interruption until it is complete and that no devices that could distract from the sprint will be allowed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The facilitator should also plan for the user testing that will take place at the last stage of the sprint.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_ux-design-fundamentalsp-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design-fundamentals?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog_panel_text&amp;utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[UX DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS COURSE]<\/p>\n                    <span>Get the Best Start in UX Design<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2><strong><a id=\"conducting-the-sprint\"><\/a>Conducting the sprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A design sprint includes five standard stages with each stage building upon the previous one. In a typical five-day sprint, one stage is tackled each day to create a schedule that looks like the one outlined below.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Day 1: Understand\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Understand stage, the sprint team pools their knowledge and arrives at a common understanding of the design problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to do this, the team should start by reviewing everything they know from the user research, expert interviews, and other information they\u2019ve gathered on the problem, and agree on the goals they want to accomplish with their solution. This should be a user-centric process so the team should use this time to create empathy maps, customer journey maps, and other artefacts that enable the team to understand the users\u2019 pain points and how their solutions can help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One exercise that is especially helpful at this stage is the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/how-might-we-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Might We method<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This exercise involves listing users\u2019 problems in the form of \u201chow might we\u201d questions and then answering them with possible solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, if the problem is that the user doesn\u2019t understand how to upload their prescription to an online store that sells eyeglasses, this could lead to the question \u201chow might we streamline the process for sharing eyeglass prescriptions?\u201d The goal is then to write down as many solutions as possible as a team and then narrow them down based on which solutions the team, and especially the decider, chooses to focus on for the rest of the sprint.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Day 2: Sketch\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that the team has agreed on the focus of the sprint, it will use the Sketch phase to ideate possible design ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each individual on the team should come up with as many ideas as possible by sketching them out. One exercise that can help generate ideas is called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/designsprintkit.withgoogle.com\/methodology\/phase3-sketch\/crazy-8s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crazy 8s<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It involves sketching eight different ideas in eight minutes. While sketching, team members should remember not to edit or critique themselves; the goal is simply to generate as many ideas as possible no matter how imperfect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a dedicated period of sketching, the team should narrow down the ideas by choosing a few sketches to focus and expand on. Each team member should take one idea, either from their sketches or another team member\u2019s, and flesh it out in detail with multiple sketches and words that fully communicate the design solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Day 3: Decide\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Decide stage, the team examines all the expanded solutions created in the previous stage and agree on a solution to move forward with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is often accomplished with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/dot-voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dot Vote method<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. To use this method, all of the solutions are hung on the walls. Then, each team member presents their solution and answers questions about it for three minutes. This is followed by a period of voting in which each team member votes for their favourite solutions by applying dot stickers to three different sketches. The solution that gets the most stickers becomes the focus for the rest of the sprint. If multiple solutions get the same number of votes, the decider will serve as the tie-breaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Day 4: Prototype\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the Prototype stage, a testable prototype of the solution is created. Everyone on the team should be assigned a task to ensure this can be accomplished in a day, whether it\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/prototyping-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">developing the prototype<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to ensure it works, writing the copy that goes into each part of the prototype, or collecting assets, including images, icons, and other creative work, to ensure the prototype looks as realistic as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perfect prototypes take more than a single day to make, so the team needs to be realistic about what it can accomplish during this stage. This can mean limiting the scope of the prototype so it represents just the most essential part of the solution or creating a low fidelity prototype that only includes the basic outline.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Day 5: Validate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Validate stage, the prototype undergoes user testing. This involves interviewing at least five users as they complete tasks using the prototype and collecting any useful feedback that comes up. At the end of the day, the team should have a list of insights and issues that will enable them to move forward with the next iteration of the product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"outcomes-of-a-design-sprint\"><\/a>Outcomes of a design sprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you\u2019ll finish a design sprint with a user-tested solution to a problem, that solution shouldn\u2019t be considered a finished product. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/5-tips-on-how-to-run-a-successful-design-sprint-f09a82507ff4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">long-time design sprint facilitator Zheshuo Fang<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> observes, the \u201coutcome of a design sprint is not an end result, but rather a starting point.\u201d That\u2019s because the goal of a design sprint is to jumpstart work on a particular problem by coming to a better understanding of users\u2019 pain points, improving collaboration within the team, and gathering feedback on a possible solution that can further drive the design of the product. If you\u2019ve accomplished that with your design sprint, you can consider it a success.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong><a id=\"pros-and-cons-of-a-design-sprint\"><\/a>Pros and cons of a design sprint<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design sprints can be beneficial for a variety of reasons, but there are some drawbacks to the process, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pros of a design sprint:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s quick and cost-effective, reducing the risk of dedicating a lot of time to a solution that ultimately fails<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It promotes teamwork by bringing people out of their siloes and giving them an opportunity to collaborate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a user-centric process<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">User testing enables the team to quickly gather feedback on a solution<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Cons of a design sprint:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be an intense process that requires a lot of time and energy from team members<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solutions may not be successful, a possibility that should be emphasised to avoid demoralised team members<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the problem isn\u2019t carefully chosen, it has the potential to be either too big or too small to tackle within the time planned for the sprint<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A design sprint is a fast way to tackle design problems and arrive at insights and solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they aren\u2019t ideal for every situation, when focused on the right problem, design sprints can have many benefits that make them a worthwhile practice to incorporate into your organisation\u2019s design process.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A design sprint is an intense, focused process in which a small team designs and tests a solution to a big design challenge. Design sprints typically take place over five days, although the process is flexible enough to accommodate a shorter or longer time period as required.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":8448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[278,279],"tags":[358],"class_list":["post-8447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design","category-ux-explained","tag-design-sprint"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8447"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9741,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8447\/revisions\/9741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}