How to run a design sprint | Figma Blog

Design sprints help teams solve complex problems quickly by combining alignment, ideation, prototyping, and user testing within a fixed timeframe, typically five business days. The method emphasizes one clearly defined challenge, a small cross-functional team, and rapid validation of ideas. Effective preparation is essential: the better the brief, research, agenda, and logistics, the more productive the sprint will be.

What a Design Sprint Is

• A structured process for solving major problems through:
  • Designing
  • Prototyping
  • User research
  • User testing
• Usually runs for five business days with clear goals and deliverables.
• Follows six phases:
  • Understand
  • Define
  • Sketch
  • Decide
  • Prototype
  • Validate
• Teams may adapt the framework based on their existing knowledge, timeline, and goals.

Origins of the Google Design Sprint

• The methodology was developed at Google to strengthen UX culture and design leadership.
• It draws from:
  • Traditional UX practices
  • IDEO
  • Stanford’s d.school
  • Business strategy
  • Psychology
• Its modern form is flexible and can be tailored to different organizations and challenges.

Preparing the Sprint

Preparation should take roughly as much effort as the sprint itself; teams should reserve planning time before the workshop begins.

Write a Focused Brief

• Define the problem, goals, deliverables, agenda, and methods.
• Include relevant project background and existing research.
• Focus on one major challenge and frame it as a specific question.
• For example, replace “Make our homepage more shoppable” with “Redesign a user flow to increase conversion.”

Assemble the Right Team

• Keep the group to approximately five to seven people.
• Include people responsible for implementing the outcome afterward.
• Typical participants include:
  • UX designers
  • User researchers
  • Product managers
  • Developers
  • Relevant leaders
• Larger organizations can divide participants into smaller teams working on the same problem.

Create the Agenda

• Use the six sprint phases as the basic structure.
• Adjust the time allocation according to the team’s knowledge and objectives.
• For example, a team familiar with the problem may shorten Understand and spend more time prototyping.

Prepare Visual References

• Gather screenshots, competitor or inspirational examples, data, research summaries, and other relevant material.
• Make these references easily accessible throughout the sprint, whether in a presentation or another shared format.

Compile User Research

• Existing and exploratory research gives the team evidence to guide ideas.
• Research can reveal:
  • What users want
  • How they currently use the product
  • Which behaviors or experiences need to change
• This information provides the foundation for the Understand phase.

Schedule Lightning Talks

• Invite internal presenters or outside experts to provide focused perspectives.
• Talks should generally last 10–15 minutes.
• Useful topics include customer-support findings, competitive analysis, and product-performance data.
• Presenters can join remotely by audio or video if necessary.

Set Up the Workspace

• Choose a bright, flexible space that supports creativity and collaboration.
• Ensure there is room for whiteboards, visual references, and rearranged furniture.
• Changing locations during the week—such as working from a café or park—can add variety.

Plan an Icebreaker and Supplies

• Use an icebreaker to help participants become comfortable and encourage creative thinking.
• Prepare all necessary workshop supplies before the sprint begins.

A successful design sprint depends on disciplined scope, the right cross-functional participants, useful research, and thoughtful facilitation. Teams should treat planning as a core part of the process rather than an administrative task.