Product Team Design Sprint

Warm-up0:00–0:1515 min

Open the sprint

Set a shared purpose, make room for every voice, and agree on how the team will work.

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Welcome and working agreements

15 min

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Facilitator agenda

1
Name the challenge
Write the product challenge where everyone can see it. Keep it open enough to explore, but specific enough to guide decisions.
2
Silent arrival
Ask each person to write one hope for the session and one concern. Invite everyone to post a note without discussion.
3
Agree how to work
Choose two agreements, such as sketch before debating, make room for quieter voices, or treat ideas as drafts.

ReflectWhat would make this sprint useful for you and for the people who use the product?

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Concept0:15–0:5035 min

Frame the opportunity

Ground the work in a user, a need, and a moment where the product could help.

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From challenge to user need

35 min

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Build a shared problem frame

1
List what is known
Give each person a few minutes to write facts, assumptions, and unanswered questions on separate notes. Mark assumptions clearly.
2
Map the user journey
Arrange notes in the order a user experiences the task. Mark the point where confusion, delay, or unmet need is most visible.
3
Choose a focus
Select one user, one task, and one moment to address. Write a How might we question that invites multiple solutions.
4
Check the wording
Read the question aloud. Remove solution language and confirm that the team can point to evidence or a clear assumption behind it.

ReflectWhich part of your problem frame is based on direct evidence, and which part is still an assumption?

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Practice0:50–1:4050 min

Explore possible solutions

Generate a range of ideas before choosing a direction.

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Silent sketching and idea selection

50 min

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Run the sketch-and-select exercise

1
Write a starting idea
Each person writes one possible response to the How might we question. Do not evaluate ideas yet.
2
Sketch variations
Fold a sheet into eight panels. Sketch a different small idea in each panel. Use labels and arrows; drawing skill is not the goal.
3
Share silently
Place sketches where everyone can review them. Give each person time to study the options and mark details that address the user need.
4
Vote with criteria
Agree on criteria such as user value, feasibility to prototype, and how much the idea could teach the team. Vote, then record why the leading direction fits.

ReflectWhich idea challenged your first instinct, and what makes it worth exploring?

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Break1:40–1:5515 min

Pause and reset

Take a screen-free pause before turning the selected idea into something testable.

Reflect

Personal reset

15 min

Take a proper pause. Stretch, get water, and give your attention a rest. Leave the idea wall as it is so the group can return to the same shared context.

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Practice1:55–3:051 h 10 min

Make and test a concept

Turn the chosen direction into a storyboard and a rough prototype, then learn from a user task.

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Storyboard, prototype, and test

70 min

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Move from idea to evidence

1
Storyboard the task
Draw the user's starting situation, key actions, and intended outcome in a short sequence. Include only moments needed to understand the chosen idea.
2
Build the rough prototype
Use paper, cards, or simple screen sketches to represent the important moments. Make enough to support one realistic task; leave details unfinished.
3
Write a neutral task
Describe what the user wants to accomplish without explaining where to click or what the prototype is meant to do.
4
Observe and record
Ask the tester to think aloud. Record actions, pauses, questions, and unexpected interpretations. Do not defend the design or fill in missing information.
5
Capture the learning
Separate observed behavior from interpretation. Note one thing to keep, one uncertainty, and one change to consider next.

ReflectWhat did the tester do or say that differed from your expectation?

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ReflectWhat is the smallest useful change or follow-up test suggested by this evidence?

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Debrief3:05–3:3025 min

Close with a clear next step

Distill what the team learned, preserve open questions, and assign a practical follow-up.

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Debrief and reflection worksheet

25 min

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Complete the worksheet

1
State the user and need
Complete: “We focused on [user] who needs to [task] when [situation].”
2
Separate learning from belief
Record one observed fact, one interpretation, and one unresolved assumption. Keep those categories distinct.
3
Choose a next action
Write one action, the person responsible, and the signal that will show whether it happened or what it taught the team.
4
Close the loop
Invite each person to name one useful contribution and one question they want the team to carry forward.

ReflectWhat changed in your understanding of the user or problem, and what should the team do next?

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