Design sprints are key to quickly unlocking value within innovation projects. The design sprint process strategically combines industry experts with innovation experts, creating a perfect pairing to reveal untapped ideas. At Differential, we have come to understand that it’s the people in the room who can make or break this process. The people ultimately guide the trajectory and results of the innovation project, so you should thoughtfully choose who is involved. Below, we list out the roles we have come to understand are vital for a design sprint.

Who Should Take Part in a Design Sprint?

The Decider

Having one person in the room who decides on the product direction, or which idea is the best, will help build momentum. If you don’t have a decider, we often see teams oscillate, making it difficult to lay the concrete foundation necessary to build upon an idea.

The Subject Matter or Customer Expert

This role is often more than one person. Most of the time it’s a team of people who understand the problems and challenges faced within the organization. Sprints are dedicated to understanding and defining an overarching problem, so it’s always helpful to include people from different facets of the company who understand the problem’s varying effects.

Marketing, Communications, or Sales

This role isn’t always necessary, but is very helpful when attempting to understand how one might market a new product to customers. Marketing and Sales team members may bring a unique point of view on a target customer’s wants & needs based on their first-hand experience.

The Facilitator

The facilitator is responsible for keeping the conversation on track, while keeping their eye on the clock. As most of us have experienced in brainstorming meetings, it’s easy to get side tracked. Without someone in charge of conversation brevity, your sprint will turn into a marathon.

The Product Strategist

The product strategist is someone who has a breadth of knowledge in how to design technical systems and lead technical teams. This person should be able to determine an approximate development timeline, and determine the types of skill sets that are necessary for the project's completion.

The Designer

The designer will be responsible for creating (or leading a team that creates) a final high fidelity prototype of the imagined product. The designer is also responsible for utilizing their experience with UX/UI to guide design based conversations in a way that takes into account the desired outcome and cultural standards.

The Technologist

Sometimes a design sprint requires a person who specializes in a niche area and can speak on the realistic possibilities of the ideas during the brainstorming session. This role may not be necessary depending on the nature of the problems being solved.

So, how many people is that exactly? We believe the benchmark for an efficient and valuable design sprint is no more than 10 participants. Exceeding this number may limit the voice of each team member, leaving valuable points-of-view out of the conversation – or it may turn the conversation into a lengthy discussion.

Here at Differential we are dedicated to bringing all product specific talent to design sprints. We have developed an innovation process that takes in industry experts and returns viable ideas and prototypes. We work in nearly every industry, bringing our expertise in innovation, data, and design thinking to the table to help businesses de-risk, define, and deliver new digital products quickly.

Interested in learning more about Design Sprints? Reach out to our team today.