Despite lockdown, demanding to work from home, Design Sprints can be used successfully to answer critical business questions by sparking innovation, encourage user-centered thinking, aligning teams under a shared vision, and gaining insights about the marketability of products before their launch – if you know how to do them remote. This talk will provide an intensive and compact introduction into the method mix from Google Ventures, how this structured process works, about its strengths, and most importantly, how it can be conducted successfully as “remote”. Since this is significantly different to “in-person”, this will cover a comparison of the physical and digital version of Design Sprints – and it provides a lot of practical insights for remote workshops in general too.

1. REMOTE DESIGN SPRINT
AMSTERDAM UX
SEPTEMBER 2. 2020
@BENNOLOEWENBERG

2. AUTOMATIC DOORS
Photo: @BennoLoewenberg

3. @BennoLoewenberg
AUTOMATIC DOORS
Video: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

4. @BennoLoewenbergVideo: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

5. @BennoLoewenbergVideo: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

6. @BennoLoewenbergVideo: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

7. @BennoLoewenbergVideo: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

8. @BennoLoewenbergVideo: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

9. @BennoLoewenbergVideo: @BennoLoewenberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uegMPSnP4

10. @BennoLoewenbergPhoto: @BennoLoewenberg
AUTOMATIC DOORS
“BROKEN
Please open manually”

11. PRODUCT
Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg
1 3
4
2
LAUNCHIDEATE
BUILD
LEARN
Here it costs
a lot of time & money

12. WHAT ?
Structured process
to develop and test ideas
within a short amount of time.
@BennoLoewenberg

13. DESIGN
Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg
1 3
4
2
LAUNCHIDEATE
BUILD
LEARN

14. WHAT FOR ?
When innovations for products and services are needed
When big challenges are to be solved
In case of a lot of stakeholders or complicated processes
I case of a high investment risk
@BennoLoewenberg

15. WHY ?
Validated concepts for solutions
to develop or improve products and services
„maximizing customer value“
@BennoLoewenberg

16. THINKING + LEAN
Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg
UNDERSTAND IDEATE
DEFINE PROTOTYPE
EVALUATE
MEASURE
BUILDLEARN
+

17. HILLS ≈ MVP
Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg (aft. IBM)
COMBINATION

18. Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg (nach IBM)
DESIGN SPRINT

19. Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
TIMEFRAME

20. STRUCTURE
Graphic: DesignSprintKit

21. RESULTS
Photo: @BennoLoewenberg

22. Graphic: @jakek
Theexerciseworksbestwhenyousketchseveralvariationsofthesameidea.Takea
favoritepiecefromyourideassheetandaskyourself,“Whatwouldbeanothergood
waytodothis?”Keepgoinguntilyoucan’tthinkofanymorevariations,thenlookback
atyourideassheet,chooseanewidea,andstartriffngonitinstead.
TOOLS

23. TEAM
& SPACE
Photo: @BennoLoewenberg (in “The Garage” at Google)

24. WHY REMOTE ?
Remote became a necessity
and the current reality of work.
Remote Design Sprints help to
maintain the ability to work (creatively).
@BennoLoewenberg

25. PHYSICAL ≠ DIGITAL
Trying to conduct remote workshops
exactly like in-person workshops … fails.
@BennoLoewenberg

26. PHYSICAL ≠ DIGITAL
Big meeting rooms,
Creative spaces Where
At home, Quiet room (mostly),
Variable time zones
Full-day workshops,
Several days all together When
A few flexible sessions (1,5 – 2 hrs. each),
Offline homework
Facilitator + Interdisciplinary team
(1 + 6–8 people) Who
Facilitator + Co-Facilitator +
Interdisciplinary team (2 + 6–8 people)
Sticky-Notes, Timer, Flipcharts,
Whiteboards, Tabletennis/Kickertable How
Video conferencing, Digital whiteboard,
Online timer, Homeoffice streching
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Hildebranding

27. REMOTE AGENDA
Not one consecutive workshop,
but a sequence of short sessions.
@BennoLoewenberg

28. SCHEDULE – PHYSICAL “1.0”
1 2 3 4 5
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Expert
interviews,
Challenge
statement
Lightning
talks,
Sketch
Decide,
Combine,
Storyboard
Prototype,
Test
guideline,
Recruiting
User tests,
Evaluation
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Hildebranding

29. SCHEDULE – PHYSICAL “2.0”/“3.0”
1 2 3 4
Mon Tue Wed Thu
Expert
interviews,
Challenge
statement
Lightning
talks,
Sketch
Decide,
Combine,
Storyboard
Prototype,
Test
guideline,
Recruiting
User tests,
Evaluation
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Hildebranding

30. SCHEDULE – DIGITAL (CORE)
1 2 3
Mon Tue Wed
Understand
the landscape;
1,5 h
Ideate and envision
the future;
2 h
Understand the users
and their journey;
1,5 h
Discuss actions
and plan;
1,5 h
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Google

31. SCHEDULE – DIGITAL (COMPLETE)
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Semih Aridogan
1 2 3 4
Preparation Warm-Up Des. Sprint Next Steps
Problem
framing,
Team
composition,
Schedule &
invitations;
2 weeks
Tools
introduction,
Getting to know
the participants;
1 h
Completely
online;
Asynchronous
& synchronous
exercises;
5 days
Results
presentation,
Recommen-
dations;
1 h

32. SCHEDULE – DIGITAL (EXT.)
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Beschnitt & Bretschneider
Week 1
1 2 3 4 5
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Preparation
and pre-
screening of
participants
Individual
participant
interviews;
6–60 min
Internal
kickoff and
research
Customer
journey
mapping
Alignment
workshop
Stakeholder
Interviews
Workshop
preparation

33. SCHEDULE – DIGITAL (EXT.)
@BennoLoewenberg aft. Beschnitt & Bretschneider
Week 2
6 7 8 9 10
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Solution
workshop
Decision
workshop
Prototyping User testing User testing
(fallback)
Preparation
& wrap-up
Preparation
& wrap-up
Wrap up
workshop

34. PLANNING
Generously timed agenda items
Many breaks
@BennoLoewenberg

35. TIMES
Quelle: Knapp, Zeratzky, Colburn

36. RHYTHM & CADENCE
“Together Alone”:
Sessions, warm ups, check ins, discussions all togehter
Excercises in groups
“Home work” induvidually
@BennoLoewenberg

37. PREPARATION – IN-PERSON
Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg (nach @mpowel85)
PREPARATION
EFFORT
TIME
AFT.SPRINT

38. PREPARATION – REMOTE
Graphic: @BennoLoewenberg (nach @mpowel85)
PREPARATION
EFFORT
ZEIT
AFT.SPRINT

39. PREPARATION – ORGANISATION
Co-facilitator
focussed on technical handling
@BennoLoewenberg

40. PREPARATION – CONTENTS
Altering the plan during a running session
(e. g. switching to an alternative exercise)
can only be successful, when those backups
have been prepared beforehand.
@BennoLoewenberg

41. VIRTUAL TOOLS
Screenshot: Mural

42. Screenshot: Miro
VIRTUAL TOOLS

43. TECH SETUP
Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
a good microphone a chat
day ight or
good lighting
two screens
(1 video & 1 whiteboard)
a timer

44. TECH SETUP
Video conferencing tool
with breakout functionality
Stable and fast web connection !
@BennoLoewenberg

45. PHYSICAL ONBOARDING
Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
„care“ package with
tools & fuels for workshops

46. DIGITAL ONBOARDING
Pre-session for newbies
Small aids and helpful infos “in situ”
Warmups, that familiarize with the tool/functions
@BennoLoewenberg

47. EMBEDDING DIGITALLY
Rules (video, audio, chat, tabs, breaks)
Assinging roles (note taking, sorting stickies)
1-screen mode (video as audio)
@BennoLoewenberg

48. PHYSICAL TOOLS
Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
use what people
have at home

49. Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
PHYSICAL TOOLS

50. @BennoLoewenberg
ENGAGEMENT
@BennoLoewenberg

51. Source: Sarah McIlwain
“ Ideas are ephemeral
when you’re in-person,
but there’re automatically recorded
when you work online”

52. CHALLENGES
Distractions
Engagement
Communication
Tech (esp. in DE: Internet)
Preparation
@BennoLoewenberg

53. ADVANTAGES
Ideal for distributed or international teams
No need for a particular workshop room
Only little (physical) material needed
Saves costs
Different possibilities (e. g. Undo, Copy-Paste)
New way of working (for shy persons too)
@BennoLoewenberg

54. TOOLS & TIPS DESIGN SPRINT
@BennoLoewenberg

55. Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
NO GUESSWORK …

56. Photo: @BennoLoewenberg (prototyping an elevator cabin)
… BUT THINKING & TESTING

57. Photo: @BennoLoewenberg (in a real spacesuit at Eurpoean Space Agency)
NO ROCKET SCIENCE …

58. Photo: @BennoLoewenberg
… BUT A PRACTICAL SHORTCUT

59. BENNOLOEWENBERG
LINKEDIN / TWITTER
@