Succeed (in music) in the preparation of your Design Sprint


The Design Sprint is a rapid design process for a new product, service or feature in 5 days.
This method aims to create innovation and reduce risk when going to market through the main pillars of this process: business strategy, interdisciplinary collaboration, rapid prototyping and user testing.
Developed and popularized by Google Venture and Jake Knapp through the Sprint book, today it is used in many industries and international organizations.
Many of you want to facilitate a Design Sprint. However, this approach requires preparation and training. So to share our experience with you, a facilitator and a UX-Designer take to the decks to enhance the preparation of your Sprint!

Recall of facts

You are involved in a Agile environment. Your project skates but not your turntables. You want to bring innovation to engage the team in a new dynamic. You are in a phase of intense inspiration. You focus on yourself Frank Ocean at the end of the helmet, you plan your Design Sprint.

 

Preparation: why & how?
group

#tolearn #reminderofobjectscifs #logistics
This step is essential for the smooth running of your Sprint. Two simple questions to ask yourself:

“Why set up a Design Sprint?”

You need to think outside the box and in a short time to implement a new feature, pivot your service or create a product from scratch.

“How to facilitate these 5 days?”

Logistics have a huge influence on the success of a Design Sprint. Make time for it. No room for improvisation when it comes to Post-Its!
sprint design

The room
  • It must be spacious. You must be able to move around easily. You will spend 5 days there!
  • She must also have 2 whiteboards and walls to display. If you don't have a whiteboard, opt for magic
Equipment
  • 1 roll of kraft paper
  • 1 roll of masking tape 
  • 200/300 post-its of different colors
  • 200 stickers
  • 1 ream of A4 paper
  • Mockup iPhone and/or Desktop (depending on the project)
  • Sharpie-style black markers
  • Crayons
  • gums
Diet
  • Water, Fruit juice, Coffee, Tea
  • Fruits, dried fruits, cereal bars
  • chocolates
Most
  • Un TimeTimer to punctuate your workshops
  • A speaker to listen to our playlist

Everything ready for D-Day? So, all you have to do is let yourself slide for this week of creativity and innovation

D1 – Map: Defining the objectives

team design sprint

#get_out_of_the_beaten_paths #collective #understanding

You have to be specific and direct. From constraint comes creativity. Your state of mind is electro-jazz. You think outside the box with style and a purpose:
Align visions and identify a problem.
On the way to your first day, you listen Snarky puppy. On foot, by metro, by bike or by car, you clear your mind and concentrate on launching your Sprint.

Tips:

  • Break the ice : start with a ice breaker to create a friendly and creative atmosphere.
  • Note taking : take a few minutes to train the team in note taking How Might We
  • State of mind : Instill a collective mindset in your team. A leitmotif:

Alone, we go faster. Together we go further 

D2 – Sketch: Bringing ideas to light

#originality #divergence #creativemode
After a first day of Sprint dedicated to sprint framing, place this second phase under the sign of idea generation.
This day is dedicated to pure creativity. Syd (The Internet, for insiders) will be your soundtrack for your morning coffee. You accompany your team to see further, to break down preconceived ideas and seek a unique path. Alternate rhythms and workshops to maintain a good level of ideation.

Tips: 

  • Split the team in small groups according to their affinities for the subjects to be sketched.
  • work alone together : we work faster alone then by sharing our work with others in a second time.

D3 – Decide: Converge on hypotheses

#jazz #making decisions #convergence #divergence #focus 
As you know, this day is crucial for the success of your Sprint. You will take your team into the territories of decision making. Avoid divergences, align points of view and preserve everyone's originality.
Kamasi Washington, genius of large coherent gaps, will be your inspiration. Like him, pose as the guarantor of everyone's expression. Before going on stage, listen and read the titles of his songs. Your guideline for this sensitive day.

Tips: 

  • To put with confidence the participants.
  • Remember the rules : it is about keeping the most impactful ideas immediately.

D4 – Prototype: Unite quality & speed

 #animation #acceleration #co-creation #result
Fourth morning, fatigue might set in but the excitement of materializing the first three days takes precedence. A question torments you: what are the non-designers going to do during this day?
Sitting on your sofa, you listen Tony Allen, a cup of coffee in hand. You read again, in a hurry, the chapter devoted to this day. The rhythm and the collective will still be the key…

Tips:

Be realistic on the perimeter of the prototype. Better a simple course and successful than a complex and unfinished prototype!

D5 – Test: Validate the solution

#lightheart #userprivacy #iteration
Final day of this Sprint, the most intense in emotion. You will present your work to users and then to the project sponsor. The tension is at its peak. You must be focused on your test, be reactive and enthusiastic to maintain the level of commitment to the maximum.
So open this day with a little session of collective listening to C. This modern and exciting re-reading of the Funkadelic Westbound period will release the energies. One and the same team to succeed in this project.

Tips:

5 is the magic number! 5 users report 80% of the problems of your experience ! 

Take away

A Design Sprint succeeds by the cohesion between the members of the team and the faculty of the facilitator to maintain the coherence between the days. Don't hesitate to keep Jake Knapp's book next to you during this week. Better to spend a few minutes re-reading a paragraph than to miss a workshop.

A Sprint is hard to facilitate. It requires a habit in the conduct of workshops. Do not hesitate to train yourself before you start!

One last tip… Organizing a feedback of your Design sprint the following week. You will collect new ideas and you will strengthen participant engagement !

 May the Sounds of UX be with you!

Jérôme, UX-Designer & Sébastien, Learning & Development Manager