Set-up:
Challenge: the bigger it is the better the spring
Sprints work best when there are high stakes, not enough time, or if you are stuck and bored
No problem is too large for a sprint: instead of making a full website, make a slide deck. Instead of making an industrial pump, do some 3D prints. Serves to show where you should focus efforts on
Figure out how product helps customers. Then focus on the tech/scale
Who should be included
Need 7 people to run sprint. They should be
– decider: has authority to make decisions. Get them to come by emphasizing rapid results, onetime experiment, tradeoffs or motivations. Don’t have to be there all the time (can come for key points), but should have a delegate
– Finance expert
– Marketing expert
– Customer expert
– Tech/logistics expert
– Design expert
should bring the troublemaker/rebel because they can see in different ways
Facilitator: managed time, convos and can lead and summarize meetings. Must be unbiased
Time and space
10-5 every day, 9-5 for Fridays
No devices are allowed. Can check devices during breaks, lunch or before/after sprints. Can use it if must but has to be outside of room
2 whiteboards, sticky notes, markers, pens, time timers, and printer paper needed
Monday: map the problem and pick focus
Setting long-term goals and sprint questions
Ask: why are we doing this project? Where do we want to be in the future.
Attitude shift: Imagine project failed. Why would it fail?
Create sprint questions: What is the long term goal and what assumptions did you make? What may have caused project to fail
Map
Make a customer-centric map with all the actors and their steps. Should be no more than 15 steps
Steps:
1. Put start and end at opposite ends of white board
2. Put words and arrows in between
3. Make it simple and ask for help
Ask the experts
Interview a bunch of experts, each for 30 minutes. Ask them to give their expertise and troubleshoot the map and sprint questions
Meanwhile, participants have to make “how might we” questions during the interviews
Decider should be in the room during this time
People to ask: strategists, people who interact with customers, people who know how things work and someone who has already worked on this problem
Put the HMW notes on the wall and organize them in themes. Do a dot vote and pull the ideas with the most dots on the map
Target
Ask the Decider to focus on one actor and one target event. Eg. Savioke: customer and delivering toothbrush. Blue Coffee: new customer and buying beans
If the Decider needs help, do a silent strawpoll where everyone puts a tally on the most important actor and event and have a small discussion
Tuesday: Sketch solutions on paper
Remix and improve
Best ideas can come from other industries or projects inside own company. Eg. idea for Blue Coffee from choclate wrappers, and eyes from Savioke came from designer who previously made eye designs
1. Everyone makes a list of products/services for inspiring solutions. Think outside field. Could be homework for Monday night
2. Give three minute demos of each product/service on list
3. Facilitator captures big ideas as they go
If sprint is for one specific idea, keep everyone on that idea. If sprint can be divided into important subparts, split people based on interest
Sketch
Sketching often puts form to abstract ideas. Don’t have to be art, but has to be detailed and self-explanatory
This phase is independent, as individual work often yields better results than group brainstorming
1. Gather key info and best ideas across room while keeping sprint questions and maps in mind. 20 minutes
2. Create some rough outlines of ideas (20 minutes) and circle best idea in last 3 minutes
3. Crazy 8s: Take idea and split paper into 8 segments and make 8 variations of idea in each segment
4. Solution sketch: make it self explanatory, anonymous, detailed and a catchy title. Should be a 3 panel storyboard (or 1 panel if only working on one part. Will be judged later. 30+ minutes
Wednesday: Decide which ideas are the best and turn ideas into testable hypothesis
Decide
Want to keep critique of solutions to a minimum to help come with fast decisions
Sticky decision:
1. Art museum: put all the solutions up on wall
2. Heatmap: Everyone goes through all solutions and puts dots next to parts they like (can be multiple) in a solution. Put questions/concerns on sticky note underneath. Move to next solution
3. Speed critique: 3 minutes. Facilitator will narrate sketch, call out ideas, team will fill in ideas they missed. Scribe will record. Review conncers and questions. Creater reveals identity and explains any missed ideas/questions. Put standout ideas on top
4. Straw poll: Everyone has one vote. Remind about sprint questions and long-term goal. Err on risky side. People will decide privately then put up vote. Each person will then explain vote
Decider will have 3 supervotes and places it on best solutions according to them (1, 2, or 3 solutions). Decider should not go with the group, as the straw poll was merely a tool for decision
Rumble
Try to combine final solutions. If not possible, you will prototype the solutions against each other
Note and vote: To make a name for other prototype, each person will take 3 minutes to write down ideas, 2 minutes to self edit. WIll put up best on board. Then people will call out favourite name, and Decider will decide
Storyboard
Get an artist aside from Facilitator
Draw 15 squares describing customer experience. Start with opening scene (web search, article, FB) and fill out rest by either writing or taking sticky notes of sketches into storyboard
Not all gaps have to be fixed up, can use solutions not selected to help
No new ideas and dont try to be perfectionist. Decider will decide any key decisions. Make sure to take risks. Keep story within 15 minutes
Thursday: Build a realistic prototype
Prototype should be fake as there is no way that you can make a fully functioning product with the existing tools and stacks in one day
Prototype mindest: anything can be prototyped, they are disposable, should be simplistic and MUST APPEAR REAL (facade)
1. Pick the right tools: If its on screen/paper, use Keynote. If its a service, get people to act based on script. If its a physical space, modify an existing space. If its an object, modify an object/3D print/ prototype marketing of object
2. Divide and conquer: Need 2 makers (will make the project based on segmented map), 1 Stitcher (will make sure all parts are lining up), 1 Writer (writes down anything and everything needed, simplistic), 1 Asset Manager (will get external files, pics, etc.) and 1 Interviewer (will develop script for product, but cannot see product until end
3. Stitch it together: Stitcher will only provide style guide in morning. WIll need to work in the afternoon to make seamless connection
4. Trial run: Run it with the narrator of the project as the Stiticher. The Interviewer and the Decider should watch the trial run
Friday: test with humans
Only 5 people need to be interviewed to find patterns. 1 hour interviews per interviewee
To interview a person:
1. Friendly welcome
2. Context questions to give people comfortable
3. Introduce prototypes: “Would you be willing…”, “I didn’t design this”, “Please be honest”
4. Give tasks: Ask to do certain tasks and ask why/how they are doing task
5. Quick debrief
Team should be together and note down individually
Note down answers to sprint questions