Design sprints done right

Introduction

The five-day design sprint has become a staple for teams that want to validate ideas quickly. Yet many sprints stall because goals are fuzzy or the schedule slips. This post walks through a lean, practical way to run a sprint that ends with evidence, not exhaustion.

Agree one clear problem statement, pick a decider and book an uninterrupted week.

Why sprint at all?

A sprint concentrates research, ideation and testing into one focused week. You cut months of debate and surface unknowns early. When budgets are tight or markets move fast, that focus is priceless.

Setting the stage

Agree one clear problem statement, pick a decider and book an uninterrupted week. Invite only six to eight people; any more and momentum dies. Gather existing data, customer quotes and tech constraints so the team starts informed, not guessing.

Running the sprint

Day one: map and target

Define the user journey, highlight pain points and choose one high-value moment to fix.

Day two: sketch

Each person draws competing solutions alone, then the group critiques the ideas silently.

Day three: decide

Vote on screens, stitch a storyboard and lock the prototype scope.

Day four: build

Craft a façade prototype in tools like Figma or ProtoPie; fidelity should match the question.

Day five: test

Show the prototype to five real users, capture reactions and tally themes.

Avoiding common pitfalls

Skip slide decks; draw on whiteboards. Keep discussions time-boxed with a visible timer. If no one owns a task, it will not happen—assign single owners for each action.

Measuring success

Success is not a polished UI. It is knowing whether the concept solves the problem and whether users grasp it unaided. Summarise findings the same day, then decide: iterate, build for real or kill.