The business world, immersed in this accelerated universe, becomes more competitive with each passing day, which requires companies to constantly incorporate new creative and innovative tools.

Agile methodologies are tools that appeared a little over 20 years ago, with the aim of making the project delivery process more efficient. These are sets of techniques applied in short work cycles that became popular in a lot of companies around the world, mainly due to the rise of the “Home Office” and the importance that technology gained in our lives.

One of the many ways of working that respond to this methodology is the Design Sprint.

“If you are interested in knowing more about what the Design Sprint is and what the phases of this methodology are, click here”

WHAT THINGS SHOULD I TAKE INTO ACCOUNT?

1- First of all, it is not necessary for everyone on the work team to be experts and brainiacs in areas of design or web development. The central idea of the Design Sprint, and where its usefulness lies, is to share ideas and knowledge regarding a specific problem, so the professional profile does not have much importance when it comes to issuing opinions and contributions.

2- The diversity of disciplines within the work team is essential. The more minds that collaborate, the more information and knowledge we will have available, and if we add to that that they come from different fields of study, the better possibilities we will have even. 

However, multidisciplinarity works as long as there is collaboration, respect and trust between all team members.

3- In addition to teamwork, it is very important that those who implement the Design Sprint have an open attitude to change. Because it is an innovative methodology, which breaks with traditional work schemes, some may not be familiar. That is why it is essential that the entire team keeps an open mind.

4- We do not always obtain a 100% finished product as a result. The fundamental thing about this process is that it functions as a “lighthouse” that guides us and shows us the path to follow. It helps us determine the starting point and an excellent basis for our project. Even if we do not achieve the complete final result, we will be able to discard all non-viable or less convenient ideas and elucidate possible errors in advance.

WHEN IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO USE THE DESIGN SPRINT?

The Design Sprint is an excellent option to apply in a wide variety of projects, especially in those that involve a high risk because developing them involves investing a lot of money and time (which perhaps we often do not have).

It is also a good alternative for those projects that are stagnant or paralyzed. This methodology can give your business that “little push” to get it back on track.

Another case in which this methodology can be used is when we have only the idea in our mind, without a physical product. The Design Sprint will help you know if your idea is viable or not, and if it is what users really need.

Finally, if you have a super project put together, but you work within a company with a very hierarchical and bureaucratic structure, the Design Sprint will allow you to give solid arguments to your plan, in addition to validating them, so that it stands out when you present it to your boss.

IN SUMMARY…

The Design Sprint is an agile methodology widely used in both large companies and startups, with many success stories when its process is followed to the letter. However, not all projects are suitable or need to use this tool.

But how can I be sure if my project needs it or not?

We share this guide of 5 questions, created by Xander Pollock and Richard Banfield, two of the greatest references of Design Sprints in the digital industry:

1. Do you have a specific problem that requires a solution?
2. Is it a complex problem that has no obvious solution?
3. Do you need a multidisciplinary team to solve that problem?
4. Is this a big enough problem to spend five days of work on?
5. Does your organization need to innovate to respond to market demand?

If the final answer is “YES”, then surely the Design Sprint will be beneficial for your company.