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

**Thursda