Social mix, space and earth, or what to expect at the Design Sprint workshop.
Jagoda Nowacka
Why use Design Sprint?
Above all, this method allows the team to focus on key product and service design issues and to find the best solution in a short period of time. Instead of conducting lengthy research and analysis, the project team can create a prototype of a product or service in just a few days, ready to be tested with users. This saves time and money and minimizes the risks associated with investing in a project that may not deliver the expected results.
Design Sprint is also a method that enables more effective communication within the project team and increases the involvement of its members. Everyone has the opportunity to present their ideas and comments, and then together they create a mind map to identify the most important elements of the project. As a result, each team member feels involved in the project and feels that his or her input is important for success.
While we usually work within our department on a daily basis, with the same people, the opposite is true at Design Sprint workshops!
Each time, the high interdisciplinarity of the participating teams is remarkable. It's very important for the course of the workshop that the teams are as diverse as possible, both in terms of competence and knowledge of the topic, gender, experience in the organization or cognitive styles. While such a social mix may not be comfortable for everyone, it lends a kind of dynamism and pace to the activity - the different, often completely different perspectives of the team members encourage fierce discussions, which often broadens the point of view and opens our eyes to what we have not seen before. These minor tensions - although they require a lot of openness and flexibility - are needed to increase the effectiveness of the Design Sprint process.
For whom is Design Sprint a good fit?
This method is particularly useful for entrepreneurs, startups and design teams who want to solve product and service design problems quickly and efficiently. Design Sprint can be used for creating new products or services, as well as for improving existing ones.
Design Sprint is also a good solution for project teams that want to communicate more effectively during design. This method allows each team member's ideas and comments to be presented and integrated into one cohesive concept.
How do we work?
Design Sprint is one of the tools used by Concordia Design Consulting's experts. When a company comes to us with a problem, we analyze it and choose the right tools - often just Design Sprints - that will respond to the client's needs, and our cooperation will be effective and produce specific, desired results.
It's good to keep in mind, first of all, that Design Sprint is about both the future and the present. Depending on your needs, there are times when the workshop metaphorically transports you to outer space and designs based on trends, focusing on what might happen in the near or distant future, but the Design Sprint process can also be very much grounded in the present, focused on current challenges.
The future on Design Sprints may be our goal, but it may just as well be a tool to bounce back with solutions for now.
Besides, Design Sprints don't have to be focused only on the external customer and creating tailored solutions - at the workshop we can also design inward, to our own organization, e.g. knowing their deficits and needs, teams can design organizational culture or implement specific values.
In summary, Design Sprint is a method that allows you to create products and services efficiently and quickly, and minimize the risks associated with investing time and money in a project that may not deliver the expected results. It is a process that can be the beginning of change in an organization.
If you'd like to learn more about Design Sprint and are wondering if this design method would be right for your business, we encourage you to visit https://www.concordiadesign.pl/design-sprint/ We'll answer any questions you may have and help you evaluate what benefits you can gain from using this effective method.
