Popularized by Google Ventures, a Design Sprint is a five-phase process that uses design thinking to reduce the risk when bringing a new product, service, or feature to the market. Instead of waiting for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to launch, we can shortcut the learning process and validate ideas in just one week.
Here is the breakdown of the 5 phases and how I use them to help clients succeed.
Phase 1: Understand (Map)
The Goal: Define the long-term goal and the specific challenge.
Day one is all about unpacking the problem. We interview experts, look at competitors, and identify the users. We create a map of the challenge and pick a specific target to solve.
- Key technique: "How Might We" (HMW) notes to turn problems into opportunities.
Phase 2: Ideate
The Goal: Generate a wide range of solutions.
Instead of a loud group brainstorm (where the loudest voice wins), we work individually to ideate. We sketch detailed solutions on paper to spark creativity. This allows for critical thinking without distraction.[1] It doesn’t matter if you can't draw; it matters if your idea has merit.
- Key technique: "Crazy 8s"—folding a paper into eight sections and sketching eight variations of an idea in eight minutes.
Phase 3: Decide
The Goal: Select the best solution to prototype.
By Wednesday, we have a wall full of ideas. We can't prototype them all, so we use a structured decision-making process. We critique the solutions and vote on the concepts that best solve the problem identified in Phase 1. We then create a storyboard to map out exactly what we will build the next day.
Phase 4: Prototype
The Goal: Build a realistic facade.
We don't write code today. We build a high-fidelity prototype using tools like Figma or Adobe XD. The goal isn't a fully functional app, but a realistic-looking surface that mimics the user experience. It needs to look real enough for a user to react to it naturally.
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Phase 5: Test
The Goal: Validate with real users.
This is the moment of truth. We show the prototype to 5 real users in 1-on-1 interviews. We watch how they interact with the design, where they get stuck, and what they enjoy. By the end of the day, we know if our idea is a winner or if it needs to be re-thought—all before engineering has typed a single syntax.
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Why this matters for your project
Using the Design Sprint methodology in my UI/UX workflow means we don't guess. We test. It saves time, saves money, and ensures that the final product is something users actually want.
