Design Sprint
Five-day process for idea validation.
PURPOSE
Many innovation projects fail because they remain abstract for too long or seek user feedback too late. The Design Sprint compresses the innovation process into five days and delivers a tested prototype at the end. It reduces the risk of costly mis-developments by prioritizing fast learning over extensive planning.
HOW TO USE
Monday the problem is understood and a focus is chosen, Tuesday solutions are sketched, Wednesday the best solution is selected, Thursday a realistic prototype is built, and Friday it is tested with real users. A facilitator guides the team through structured exercises. The team ideally consists of five to seven people from different disciplines.
WHAT IT IS
The Design Sprint is a five-day format for rapid idea validation developed by Google Ventures. It combines elements of Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and agile development in a tight schedule. The framework includes clearly defined phases (Understand, Sketch, Decide, Prototype, Test) each with specific methods.
EXAMPLE
Example: Your insurance company wants to develop a digital claims reporting process, but nobody knows whether customers prefer an app or a web form. In a five-day Design Sprint, you go from problem definition on Monday through sketches and decisions to a user test of a clickable prototype on Friday.