Why Do Startups Need Design Sprints?

The main reason for the popularity of design sprints is the combination of time and resource efficiency to achieve the result. So, the result which the methodology pursues is to show the product prototype to a wide market and understand its profitability before investing in the startup and assembling a large team. With the help of a design sprint you can test the main ideas of the project in a short time (on average from 5 days to several weeks), implementing them into an interface.

Design sprint allows everyone involved in the project to get a result. For example, developers will be able to work more efficiently on the terms of reference, as they will have a visual guide to the tasks set and data on the information structure of the project. In turn, customers, a week later, will be familiar with the original version of the project. This will assess the profitability of ideas and understand which ones are not worth wasting time on.

This approach to the issue minimizes the risks in the further process of creating the product. Investors, in turn, having received the results of the design sprint, will understand how profitable it is to invest in the project. Besides, they will spend less money and time, as 3-6 months of teamwork costs much more than a design sprint. The end-user, represented by the user, will get a noticeably more elaborated product since the main problems were solved while modeling the original version.

What is Design Sprint and How Does It Work

Design sprint was originally created by Google, a division that selects startups and ideas for further investment. At some point, Google Ventures came to the conclusion that it was not always possible to turn selected ideas into marketable products. To solve the problem, experts came up with design sprints.

Today this methodology is used far beyond the Google office. Design sprint schools, societies that conduct a variety of training on the subject, and even distance design sprints are gaining popularity and have spread across the globe. So what is the essence of the design sprint test?

In general, a design sprint is a test of an underlying project idea or an attempt to solve a problem or task that has arisen. The process is comparable to image processing. Somewhere you only do color correction, somewhere you add surface retouching, and in some places, like under a microscope, you correct a skin defect by getting to the layer where you look at everything at the pore level. In the process of doing the sprint, everything starts to become tangible. It’s a kind of clever modeling that you can experience from all angles.

So, the big picture of the concept has been formulated, now it remains to understand how it happens step by step. Everything begins with a detailed study of the issue and the identification of the main problem to be solved. Thus, the tasks for the design board are formulated.

Then there is a brainstorming session to find ideas for solving the problem: they are visualized and suggest methods of implementation. After that, they are examined in detail from different angles and choose the best option. Next, the initial version of the product is developed. This prototype is prepared for profitability testing. The last stage is just a test with a potential consumer of the final product. Thus, you get feedback and emotional reaction to the final implementation product created by the startup.

Which Tasks Are Design Sprint Good For?

It is good absolutely any task, whether it’s to increase search engine traffic or to pay off a year’s worth of credit. That’s the cool thing about design sprint methods – it helps you solve any problem. Another plus is that it can be done both face-to-face and remotely. The time frame also depends only on the complexity of the task, but at the same time, do not stretch for months. In addition, on the above classic example of creating design sprints have built many models that adapt to the company, the country, and its cultural code. It becomes obvious that the use of design sprints helps solve many problems, understand how to proceed, and is suitable for anyone who understands the importance of strategy and its verification.

Rupali Gupta

Rupali Gupta is a blogger and professional writer who loves to write about technology and entertainment. Techzimo is one of her successful websites filled with great tech news, Know more about her on Youtube Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram