Solving the Right Problems with Design Sprints

Presented to the Tampa UX Meetup at Mad Mobile on September 28, 2016.

Transcript

1. Solving the Right Problems
   with Design Sprints
   Tim Knight
   @timknight
   

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2. Tim Knight
   @timknight
   Who Am I?
   • Eclectic Academic
   • Instructor with GDI
   • Organizer of Front-End Meetup
   • Moderator @ Treehouse
   • User Experience Consultant
   • Director of UX @ GravityFree
   

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3. In technology, there’s a myth that you can
   be an expert who has all the answers.
   

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4. Never stop asking why.
   

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5. A design sprint is
   a systematic process for going from
   targeting a problem to testing a prototype
   with real users in just 5 days*.
   

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6. While complementary. The idea of the
   “Sprint” isn’t necessarily meant to link the
   process to an agile methodology.
   

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7. Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
   

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8. Set the Stage
   The right challenge with the right team.
   

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9. Pick a big problem.
   If you’re having trouble gaining executive
   support, you might be looking at the
   wrong problem.
   

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10. Pick the right team.
    The Decider The Facilitator
    

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11. Pick the right room. Schedule the time.
    Get a room that you can stay in. Bring
    plenty of whiteboards (at least 2),
    sharpies, 3 x 5 Post-Its, and plain paper.
    And don’t forget healthy snacks.
    

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12. Your usual day.
    Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
    

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13. Your sprint day.
    Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
    

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14. Lunch - 1pm
    10 am
    5 pm
    Lunch - 1pm
    10 am
    5 pm
    Lunch - 1pm
    10 am
    5 pm
    Lunch - 1pm
    10 am
    5 pm
    Lunch - 1pm
    9 am
    5 pm
    Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
    

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15. No devices.
    

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16. Monday
    Mapping Out The Problem
    

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17. Stop yourself from trying to solve
    problems today. Spend the day listening.
    

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18. Start at the end.
    What would life look life if you succeed?
    What might cause you to fail? What has to
    be true to meet your long term goal? Write
    your questions on 1/3 of a whiteboard.
    

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19. Make a map.
    Keep It Simple, Around 5-15 Steps. Take 30-60 Minutes.
    Patient
    Doctor
    Coordinator
    Make
    appt.
    Appointment:
    Discuss trail
    Enroll BEGIN THERAPY
    Search for
    matching
    trails
    

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20. Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
    Ask the experts.
    Hold 15 Minute Individual Interviews, Revise Your Map As You Go
    

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21. Write up “how might we?” questions
    Write Several and Post them All To a Wall or the Relevant Area of Your Map
    HMW
    Use imagery to tell our story?
    

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22. Group your questions and vote
    Everyone Gets to Vote, Then the Decider Gets the Super Vote. Once Decided, Add
    or Revise Your Questions on Your Board to Include these.
    HMW
    HMW
    HMW HMW
    HMW
    HMW
    HMW
    

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23. Make a map.
    Keep It Simple, Around 5-15 Steps. Take 30-60 Minutes.
    Patient
    Doctor
    Coordinator
    Make
    appt.
    Appointment:
    Discuss trail
    Enroll BEGIN THERAPY
    Search for
    matching
    trails
    HMW
    HMW
    HMW
    HMW
    HMW
    

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24. Now trim the list of just this sprint
    You Can’t Answer Them All. But One or More Should Line Up Well.
    LONG TERM GOAL: More patients enrolled in trials
    SPRINT QUESTIONS
    • Can we find matches fast enough?
    • Will clinics change their workflow?
    

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25. Monday ends with your map finished,
    target picked, and your sprint questions
    outlined on the whiteboard. Go home.
    

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26. But wait… now that you have your target
    user and process selected it’s time to
    have someone pull together the users to
    be tested for later in the week.
    Your customer-focused team member
    should be able to help here.
    

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27. Tuesday
    Remix, Improve, and Sketch
    

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28. To start your day, ask everyone to come
    up with a list of existing products or
    services to review for inspiring solutions.
    

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29. Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
    Lightning demos.
    

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30. Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
    

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31. Now you’re going to sketch. Alone.
    

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32. 1. NOTES 2. IDEAS 3. CRAZY 8s 4. SOLUTION SKETCH
    Gather
    Information
    Rough
    Solutions
    Rapid
    Variations
    Work out
    Details
    20 minutes 20 minutes 8 minutes 30+ minutes
    HMW?
    HMW?
    Keeping It Classy
    

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33. Once you’re finished, put your sketches
    face down on a table and enjoy your
    evening. It’s time to go home.
    

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34. Wednesday
    Decide and Storyboard
    

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35. It’s decision day. It can be draining.
    Be ready.
    

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36. Art museum review.
    Voters Look at the Options In Silence, add Questions and Concerns and Mark
    the Standout Ideas (Black Dots)
    But what
    about?
    How is it?
    Quick Pick Makin’ It Rain Smart Select Jump In Giveaway Chat
    But, but…
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37. Next up. Speed critique. The facilitator
    takes everyone through each sketch,
    calling out stand out ideas which are then
    written on Post-Its and added to the top of
    the sketch.
    

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38. Final straw poll.
    Add Your Votes. Either On a Feature or a Full Sketch
    Starts with key
    introduction
    Pick selection is
    fast
    Quick Pick Makin’ It Rain Smart Select Jump In Giveaway Chat
    Sets selection
    defaults
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    Great use of
    video
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39. Once everyone has voted. The Decider
    adds their “Super Vote”. Ideas that get
    super votes become the foundation of the
    prototype. Other sketches can be saved
    for a future sprint.
    

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40. What if you have more then one clear
    winning concept?
    Then prototype both/all of them and give
    them individual fake names.
    

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41. Storyboard your solution.
    Start with a Grid
    

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42. Start from the beginning.
    Where Will New Customers First Hear or Interact with Your Product?
    

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43. Fill out the storyboard.
    Use What You Have. Don’t Think of New Things on the Fly.
    Processes
    Payment
    

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44. You should be able to walk through your
    full storyboard in about 15 minutes.
    

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45. Remember, the Decider decides and
    approves the final process in the
    storyboard.
    

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46. When in doubt. Take risks.
    

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47. Thursday
    Prototype Your Solution(s)
    

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48. Get into the prototyping mindset.
    

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49. Prototyping roles.
    Makers
    Stitcher
    Writer
    Asset Collector
    Interviewer
    

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50. Use the right tools.
    

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52. Ethos
    https://github.com/timknight/middleman-ethos
    I Built This Thing. I Prototype With It. Maybe You’ll Like It Too.
    

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53. At 3pm, gather the team and do a trail run.
    Make sure you haven’t missed anything.
    

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54. Friday
    Test with Users and Learn
    

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55. The answer is 5.
    

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56. Each interview should run about 60
    minutes. Trust me, time will fly.
    

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57. The setup.
    Image Credit: From “Sprint” by Jake Knapp
    

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58. Follow a 5-act interview.
    

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59. A friendly welcome to start the interview.
    1
    

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60. A series of general, open-ended context
    questions about the customer
    2
    

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61. Introduction to the prototype(s)
    3
    

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62. Detailed tasks to get the customer
    reacting to the prototype
    4
    

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63. A quick debrief to capture the customer’s
    overarching thoughts and impressions
    5
    

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64. Take notes.
    “Not really a good match
    for my company”
    Wanted to try it
    afterward
    Successfully setup new
    account
    

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65. Collect them onto a board.
    Tim Andrew Jess Todd Flynn
    Marketing Page
    Sign up
    First experience
    

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66. Look for patterns in the notes.
    

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67. You always win.
    

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68. Learning More
    Some Books That Help In the Process
    

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74. Thank You!
    Questions? Comments?
    

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