Design Sprints: What Actually Works
A time-boxed process, typically five days, in which a small team moves from a problem to a tested prototype.
Priya Raghunathan
At a glance
- Typical length five days
- Phases understand, sketch, decide, prototype and test
- Team a small cross-functional group including a decision maker
- Output a prototype tested with users
Why it matters
Why it matters: Sprints compress weeks of debate into days and produce evidence from real users before expensive development.
Best practice
- Choose a focused, important problem
- Include someone with authority to decide
- Protect participants' time for the whole sprint
- Test with real target users
- Plan what happens after the sprint
Common pitfalls
Watch out for:
- Running sprints for small, well-understood problems
- Decision makers who drop in and out
- Testing with colleagues instead of users
- Treating the prototype as ready to build
When to call in a specialist
Bottom line Bring in help when a team is stuck on a high-stakes product decision.
Where this comes from
- Interaction Design Foundation — Design sprints
- Nielsen Norman Group — Design sprints
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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