book

Design Sprint

by Richard Banfield, C. Todd Lombardo, Trace Wax

September 2015

Beginner

272 pages

4h 13m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Why Care About Design Sprints?
Who This Book Is ForWho Are We to Tell You?How We Wrote This BookHow This Book Is OrganizedChapter 1, What Is a Design Sprint?Chapter 2, When (and When Not) to Do a Design SprintChapter 3, How to Approach Design SprintsChapter 4, Before the Design Sprint: Make a PlanChapter 5, Phase 1: UnderstandChapter 6, Phase 2: DivergeChapter 7, Phase 3: ConvergeChapter 8, Phase 4: PrototypeChapter 9, Phase 5: TestChapter 10, After the Design Sprint: Capture, Iterate, and ContinueAcknowledgments
Uses of a Design SprintAt the beginning of a projectIn the middle of a projectFor a mature projectHow the Design Sprint Came to BeFrom AgileFrom design charrettesFrom digital product designFrom Google VenturesCreated for Startups, Great for EnterprisesFor startupsFor enterprisesSuccess = Time and Money Saved + Minds BlownSuccess by preventing failureWhen you get validationSome validation, some things to fixWhen you don’t get validationTakeaways:
Why Do a Design Sprint?Speed, efficiency, and focus will increaseTo align a diverse teamTo have a clear processTo start a new project in a clear directionWhen Not to Use a Design SprintThe product is already very well-definedSignificant research is needed beyond the scope of 1–2 days of interviewsThe project is only a few days in scopeThe business opportunity isn’t clearThe scope is far too broadA more sophisticated product development effort is requiredYou won’t break up with your idea: The IKEA effectTakeaways:
What’s the Best Application of Design Sprints?A wide variety of projects and peopleA framework for timeboxed activitiesThe Ideal Design Sprint: Five DaysA full design cycle in one weekAlternative Approach #1: Compact It“I can’t give you five days. I can give you two.”Alternative Approach #2: Shorten the Days“I can give you five to six hours each day”Beware of too shortAlternative Approach #3: Spread It Out“Let’s do bite-sized chunks over four weeks.”Alternative Approach #4: Ultra-Compact It: A Few Hours“I can give you a few hours. What can we get done?”Alternative Approach #5: Align with Your Team’s Agile/Scrum“My engineering team follows Agile, how can this work together?”Match the design sprint length to the Scrum lengthTakeaways:
Determine the TimeboxConstruct the Agenda/sSet the ScopePick a FacilitatorWhat Makes a Good Facilitator?Recruit and Inform Team MembersA small organization, such as a startupA team in a larger enterprise organizationThe studio, agency, or consulting modelWhat Is the Difference Between Product Management and Project Management?Secure and Prepare the SpaceStock Up on SuppliesWhat’s in Your Sprint Kit?Conduct a Pre-MortemPrepare and Distribute Background MaterialsSchedule Time with UsersPost-it Note Pro TipTakeaways:

What Happens During the Understand Phase?Recommended AgendaGet the BackgroundGet InspiredDefine the ProblemKnow the UserWrap-upGet the BackgroundIntroductionsHowA Few of Our Favorite IcebreakersIntroduce the Idea Parking LotHowReview AgendaHowRules of the Design SprintPitch Practice #1HowReview Research and Past WorkHowGet InspiredGoals and Anti-GoalsHowExisting Product, Competitors, and SubstitutesHowFacts and AssumptionsHowQuestion Formulation Technique (QFT)HowContextDefine the ProblemProblem StatementHowReframe the Problem with Challenge MapsChallenge MapsHowKnow the UserWho/DoHowPersonasHowDiscovery InterviewHowUser Journey MapHowDaily Retrospective (Plus/Delta)HowTeam Drinks: Less Filling and Tastes Great!HowTakeaways:
What Happens During the Diverge Phase?Recommended AgendaGear UpGenerate Solutions (At least once; 1–2 more times are optional)Generate More Solutions (Optional)Individual Wireframes (Optional)Wrap-upGear UpReview Agenda and RulesHowBackground Phase RecapHowJob StoriesHowGenerate SolutionsMind MapHow8-Ups (AKA Crazy Eights)HowStoryboardHowSilent CritiqueHowGroup CritiqueHowSuper Vote (Optional)HowGenerate More (and More) SolutionsIndividual WireframesWireframesHowTakeaways:
What Happens During the Converge Phase?Recommended AgendaGet StartedScrutinize Your WorkWireframe the PrototypeWrap-upGet StartedScrutinize Your Work$100 Test/RisksHowIdentify AlternativesHow2x2 Matrix (optional)HowReview AssumptionsHowWireframe the PrototypeTeam SketchingHowRitual DissentHowRepeat the Converge CycleFinal SketchHowTakeaways:
What Happens During the Prototype Phase?Recommended AgendaSchedule and/or Confirm the InterviewsCheck Your Users Against the Target PersonaRecruiting Test Takers: Where to Find People?Screen Out the Users Who Don’t FitCompensation: pay them something, even if it isn’t moneyBuild the PrototypeWhat You NeedWho Should Be InvolvedReview the Previous Day’s Work and Plan the DayDelegate and Assign TasksSketch First, Mock Up Later (Or Not)Make ItA Word of WarningPrototyping ToolsExamples of PrototypesFinalize the Test PlanAssumptions Table/Validation BoardHowDecide on the Pre-Roll QuestionsDefine the TasksCreate the Post-Roll QuestionsTakeaways
What Happens During the Test Phase?Recommended AgendaTest Your PrototypeTools for TestingThe Testing EnvironmentWhen Possible: Go to the UsersIt Happens: Someone Will CancelDon’t Coach Your Testers Through the PrototypeCapture ArtifactsUser Test InterviewHowDebrief and RetrospectiveWhen It Works as ExpectedWhen Results Don’t Match Your ExpectationsWhen You Still Have QuestionsTakeaways
What Happens Next?Capture and DocumentFor the design firmFor the product team within an organizationDetermine Next StepsContinue the PracticeMake Design Sprints CommonplaceIt’s in Your HandsTakeaways

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About the Authors

The CEO and Co-Founder of Boston-Based User Experience Agency Fresh Tilled Soil, Richard wears the strategic hat around the office. He's worked his way up the web marketing food chain, starting with online ad sales at MultiChoice, Africa’s largest TV and Internet media business. Richard was in the thick of it during the heady dot-com years, founding Acceleration, an international e-marketing business headquartered in London. He has never met a whiteboard he didn't like.

In a world of hyper-specialization, C. Todd stands in the intersections and sees the connections that revolve around us. As an Innovation Architect at Constant Contact's InnoLoft, he facilitates product and service design sprints for a wide range of external startups and internal product teams. C. Todd is also a member of the adjunct faculty at Madrid's prestigious IE Business School where he teaches courses on Creativity, Innovation, Design-Thinking and Communication.

After a career in user experience design and research at companies like Microsoft and Nuance, Trace then became a developer at Pivotal Labs, and is now a Managing Director at thoughtbot. He has facilitated numerous product design sprints, and is an author and maintainer of thoughtbot's design sprint methodology repository. He's brought Lean and Agile methodology to many large companies and small startups, helping teams to focus, prioritize, and become happy and productive.