Glossary
Design sprint
What is a design sprint?
A design sprint is a structured process for exploring a problem, developing a prototype, and testing it with users within a short period. The classic GV format takes five days.
The five-day design sprint
The classic sequence assigns a different job to each day:
- Monday: map the problem and choose a target;
- Tuesday: sketch alternatives;
- Wednesday: choose a direction and storyboard it;
- Thursday: build a realistic prototype;
- Friday: test it with prospective users.
The Sprint book provides the authors’ detailed method.
Example of a design sprint
A team could prototype an appointment-booking flow and watch prospective users try to find a time and complete a booking. Confusing labels or a missing step give the team specific things to revise before building the full service.
What a design sprint can tell you
A small prototype study can reveal misunderstandings and usability problems. It cannot by itself establish market demand, implementation feasibility, accessibility for all users, or long-term outcomes. State what the prototype tested and what still needs investigation.