Design sprint
How does something transforms from a design challenge to an actual user-centered product?
One way is through Design sprint.
Terminology
Design sprint is time-bound process, with five phases usually spread over 5 working days.
Design sprint goal is to solve a critical design challenge through designing, prototyping, and testing ideas with users.
The benefits of using a Design sprints are:
Saving time - Teams can cut the decision-making process down, from a month to a single week.
Creating an effective path for bringing a product to market.
Prioritizing the user.
Testing of a product before launch.
Usual phases in a Design sprints are:
One: Map/Understand - Make a map and focus on a target. Create a clear picture of a design challenge. Learn from experts and engage in team discussions. Everything you do should be focused on the User.
Two: Sketch/Ideate - Sketch solutions. Iterate through ideas. Plan for User testing.
Three: Decide of the best - Decide which solution to build. Create step-by-step blue-print for your prototype.
Four: Prototype - Build a prototype. You don’t need a finished product, just something realistic enough to test with users. Confirm the test schedule and complete the interview questions.
Five: Test - As users test the prototype, observe how they react, and interview them about their experiences. You will get a critical insight into changes that you need to make before launching a new product.
What makes Design sprints beneficial?
It is all about the User. Sprint participants make sure the design challenge is always focused on the users and their needs.
Sprints give a value for every member of the team. Including people from different backgrounds and experience levels is a key part of the process.
Sprints give time to focus on a design challenge.
Lowers the risk factor because of testing and adjusting before the product launch.
Planning a Design sprint.
Step one: User research is always the first step in any Design sprint planning process. Focus on the user problems you trying to solve an get a rough idea.
Step two: Call in the experts. A good talk is helping to clarify the problem you and your team are trying to solve. Plan early.
Step three : Find the right space. Make sure all the participants are comfortable.
Step four: Gather supplies.
Step five: Establish the rules of the sprint.
Step six: Plan introductions for each participant.
Step seven: Post-sprint planning. Think about what will happen after the sprint. Documentation is a key. Take pictures, notes and ideas and create an archive for the future iterations.
Building a Design sprint brief.
Terminology
Sprint brief - A document that you share with all your team and stakeholders to help them to prepare for the sprint.
Example brief structure:
DESIGN SPRINT
Brief
SPRINT CHALLENGE: Sprint challenge description.
What is the challenge that you want to solve?
Here are four things that make a challenge:
The challenge is something real that the team needs to deliver.
It’s stated in a way that sounds inspiring.
It’s clear and concise.
It includes a time frame.
KEY DELIVERABLES: What you actually want to create.
What do you want the team to create during the sprint?
Tips for deliverables:
Aim for the highest quality deliverables possible. Polished digital work, videos, and interactive prototypes are better than sketches.
List all platforms that the product will target - web, mobile, tablet, physical products and environments.
LOGISTICS:
Where sprint will happen?
When it will be held?
Who is attending?
Sprint Master name.
APPROVERS:
Internal Stakeholders
Who needs to sign off on the project so it can be launched?
RESOURCES:
For short-term sprints: Assign team resources, if any.
It is recommended that you start a design sprint by having assigned development resources to carry the work after the sprint. This is easier with short-term focused sprints.
For long-term sprints / vision sprints: Plan to secure resources.
Vision sprints take a long-term view of planning. In order to succeed, the team needs to have a plan of approvals for how to integrate the sprint within the organization roadmap.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Current state of the project - What’s been created already. Is this a new project with no history? Say so. If this is 5 year project with lots of history, summarize.
Roadblocks - What stands in our way:
Early wins. If any. - Has the team demonstrated any wins or leadings in the space already?
Estimated launch plan - When is the projected launch for the design? What is this likely to look like at launch: - a website, campaign, service, physical product. List that in the general statement as well.
SPRINT SCHEDULE: An hour by hour schedule of the 5 day sprint including break times. This gives the team overview of the sprint and gives them time for adequate preparation.
Sprint design summary
The goal of a Design sprint is to take a complex problems and come up with a solution trough collaboration with your team members, like Product Managers, Engineers and Marketing. All of this is happening in time-frame of a working week and depends on the User feedback and tests. Sprints at their core are about inclusivity. Bringing people from different backgrounds and levels of expertise is crucial.
Terminology
Sprint retrospective
Sprint retrospective is a collaborative critique of the team’s design sprint.
Sprint retrospective meetings happen usually after the sprint, so everyone's thoughts are fresh.
Key questions in a retrospective:
What went well?
What can be improved?
Key insights:
Get a Decider (or two).
Recruit a team of seven (or fewer).
Schedule extra experts for Monday.
Reduce distractions in the room. The no-device rule.
Take How Might We notes. Every person on the team needs their own pad of sticky notes.
Make honest decisions.
Pick the right tools.
Continues in: Learn UX Design. Part Three. Introduction to UX research.