Design Sprint
Creative solutions in only 5 days
Get from Discussion to Action! In just five days, your team will define a problem, develop solutions, and validate them directly with real users from your target group during a Design Sprint. We guide you through a proven set of exciting methods that turn even inexperienced participants into ad-hoc designers! The focus is on teamwork: different perspectives are heard, and decisions are made together.
What Is Special About a Design Sprint?
- Covers all phases of Design Thinking
- Deep dive into a concrete challenge
- Clear and structured process
- Involvement of key stakeholders
- Hands-on team collaboration
- Duration: 5 days (optional 4-day format)
Who invented it?
The Design Sprint is a method developed by Google with a clearly defined process that guides interdisciplinary teams through the design thinking process in a very short time. Participants do not need a design background – instead, they contribute their expertise on the product and the specific challenge.
In addition, all key stakeholders are brought together to ensure that the decisions made will hold beyond the Design Sprint itself.
In a Design Sprint, every voice counts: decisions are made as a team and always guided by user needs. That’s why Design Sprints work for almost any team and challenge.
And the result?
At the end, you’ll have a jointly developed prototype that has already been tested with real users. This provides a solid foundation for the next steps – and we’re happy to support you further if needed.
Wondering if a Design Sprint can help your project move forward?
In a short conversation with our Consulting Team, you can quickly find out how we can best support you. Alternatively, feel free to send us a short message, and we will get back to you.
We are happy to advise you - free of charge and without obligation.
What Happens in a Sprint?
-
Monday: Define the Goal
Work out the challenge and the resulting objectiveMonday: Define the Goal
We kick off the week with a stocktake: which problems do the participants want to tackle in this Design Sprint?
The focus today is on sharing knowledge and agreeing on one concrete problem to solve. Afterwards, the team defines a clear goal to achieve during the Sprint.
-
Tuesday: Sketching
Generate ideas and sketch possible solutionsTuesday: Sketching
On the second day, it’s time to get hands-on: armed with paper, pens, and sticky notes, the team generates a flood of ideas. “But I can’t draw!” No worries – most of us can’t. What really matters are the inner values of your ideas!
With a variety of creative methods (that are fun, too!), both the experienced designer and the complete beginner feel equally comfortable.
-
Wednesday: Decide
Agree on the best solution as a teamWednesday: Decide
The day starts with a look at all the ideas the team sketched on Tuesday. Time for a quick pat on the back – a lot has already been achieved!
Today’s focus is to choose the most promising solution to move forward with. Once the decision is made, the team creates a storyboard: defining step by step what will be turned into a prototype on Thursday.
-
Thursday: Prototyping
Turn the chosen idea into a testable prototypeThursday: Prototyping
The Wednesday storyboard sets the stage for Day 4: today, all the work is transformed into something that can be tested on Friday. Depending on the project, this prototype may be made of paper sketches, “ugly” but functional, or a clickable mock-up that looks just like a real system at first glance.
We’ll help you create exactly the kind of prototype that best answers your questions and moves your project forward.
-
Friday: Testing
Test the prototype with real usersFriday: Testing
Friday kicks off with a usability test: the team’s work is put to the test. You’ll watch real people from your target group interact with your prototype, seeing first-hand how well it works for them and what ideas or feedback they bring.
We wrap up the week by reflecting on the initial goal and exploring how the team can build on the results of the Design Sprint moving forward.
Foundation Sprint – Laying the Groundwork for a Successful Design Sprint
Benefits of a Foundation Sprint
-
Gather stakeholder perspectives without pulling them out of daily business for 5 days
Through targeted interviews or workshops, key viewpoints are considered early on.
-
Set clear guardrails
Ensures the Design Sprint stays focused on what really matters and doesn’t drift in too many directions.
-
Less time-consuming than a full Design Sprint
While a Design Sprint takes an entire week, a Foundation Sprint is significantly shorter.
A successful Design Sprint needs a solid foundation. The creators of the method, Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, developed the Foundation Sprint for this purpose – a short, intensive phase in which the most important conditions are defined before the actual Design Sprint begins. This way, all participants start with a shared vision, and valuable Sprint time is not wasted on fundamental discussions.
We have been applying this approach for a long time under the name “Guardrails Workshop.” As a key part of our Sprint preparation, the Foundation Sprint ensures that central questions are clarified early on, creating the basis for a successful Design Sprint – efficient, focused, and with maximum impact.
What Is Design Thinking?
In contrast to the clearly defined structure of a Design Sprint, Design-Thinking is a flexible toolbox of methods that can be applied as needed. These methods align with the six phases of the Design Thinking process which also form the foundation for the flow of a Design Sprint.
How and Where Can We Run Design Sprints?
In our facilities
Our spacious workshop rooms provide the perfect setting for creative work: equipped with whiteboards, a touch of agency flair, and inspiring views of the surrounding greenery.
At your location
Of course, we’re also happy to come to you. We’ll bring all the materials, you just take care of the snacks ;)
Remote
We’ve been supporting teams in virtual collaboration long before 2020. Different locations? Team members working from home? No problem!
Why Run Design Sprints with usability.de?
- We tailor each Sprint precisely to your situation: adapting the process to your needs, supporting you in selecting workshop participants, and handling the recruitment of test users for the usability test.
- During the Sprint, experienced UX designers and researchers guide you through all methods, moderate usability tests, and respond flexibly to specific requirements.
- By the end of the week, you’ll have a shared understanding of your challenge, a professionally tested prototype as a solution concept, and a concrete plan for your next steps.
- Design Sprints are just one tool from the vast user-centered design toolbox. We’re the right partner for your project: from quick wins to long-term UX Management strategies, from recommendations based on test results to holistic UX Design.
Case Study LVM Insurance
In a series of design sprints, we collaborated with LVM on a comprehensive relaunch of the website. Together with stakeholders from various departments, we developed a new, user-centered concept.
View Case Study
Design Thinking
Prototyping
Usability Testing 
Focus Group
