/design-sprint

name: design-sprint
description: "Test big ideas in just 5 days. Apply Google Ventures' proven methodology to go from problem to validated prototype without months of development. Use when: **New product concepts** that need validation before building; **Big feature decisions** with significant investment required; **Stuck teams** needing to break through analysis paralysis; **Startup pivots** when direction is uncertain; **High-risk bets** where failure is expensive"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"

Design Sprint

> Test big ideas in just 5 days. Apply Google Ventures' proven methodology to go from problem to validated prototype without months of development.

When to Use This Skill

• **New product concepts** that need validation before building
• **Big feature decisions** with significant investment required
• **Stuck teams** needing to break through analysis paralysis
• **Startup pivots** when direction is uncertain
• **High-risk bets** where failure is expensive
• **Cross-functional alignment** when teams disagree on direction

Methodology Foundation

| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | **Source** | Jake Knapp - Sprint (2016), developed at Google Ventures | | **Core Principle** | "5 days to go from problem to tested solution. Prototype and test with real users instead of debating and building." | | **Validation** | Used in 150+ startups by GV, adopted by teams at Google, Slack, Uber, IDEO | | **Why This Matters** | Months of work compressed into a week. Learn in 5 days what would take months to discover after launch. |

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures video workflow | Final creative vision | | Suggests shot compositions | Equipment selection | | Creates storyboard templates | Brand aesthetics | | Generates script frameworks | Final approval | | Identifies technical requirements | Budget allocation |

What This Skill Does

1. **Structures a 5-day process** - Monday to Friday, full schedule 2. **Facilitates divergent thinking** - Generate many ideas 3. **Enables rapid prototyping** - Realistic but fake 4. **Validates with real users** - Test on Friday 5. **Aligns teams quickly** - Shared understanding and decision 6. **Reduces risk** - Learn before you build

How to Use

Plan a Design Sprint

I want to run a design sprint to solve [challenge].
Help me plan the 5-day schedule and prepare materials.
Team: [who's involved]

Run a Specific Sprint Day

We're on [Day] of our design sprint.
Guide me through today's activities for [challenge].

Adapt for Remote/Compressed Sprint

I need to run a design sprint remotely [or: in 3 days instead of 5].
Help me adapt the methodology.

Instructions

Step 1: Understand the Sprint Overview

## The 5-Day Sprint

### Why 5 Days?

**Day 1 (Monday): Map**
Understand the problem and pick a target

**Day 2 (Tuesday): Sketch**
Generate solutions individually

**Day 3 (Wednesday): Decide**
Choose the best solution

**Day 4 (Thursday): Prototype**
Build a realistic facade

**Day 5 (Friday): Test**
Get real user feedback

### The Philosophy

**Before sprints:**
- Debate ideas for weeks
- Build something over months
- Launch and hope
- Discover problems late

**With sprints:**
- 1 day to understand
- 2 days to generate and decide
- 1 day to prototype
- 1 day to validate
- Learn before building

### What You Need

**Team (7 or fewer):**
- Decider (authority to make calls)
- Facilitator (runs the sprint)
- Product person
- Designer
- Engineer
- Domain expert
- Customer-facing person

**Space:**
- Dedicated room for 5 days
- Whiteboards or wall space
- Post-its, markers, dot stickers

**Prep:**
- 5 user interviews scheduled for Friday
- Sprint challenge defined
- Long-term goal agreed

---

Step 2: Day-by-Day Activities

## Monday: Map

### Goal
Understand the problem. Pick where to focus.

### Schedule

**10:00 - Long-term goal**
"Where do we want to be in 6 months / 2 years?"
Write on whiteboard. Get Decider agreement.

**10:30 - Sprint questions**
"What could go wrong? What do we need to learn?"
Turn fears into questions.
"Will users understand our value prop?"
"Can we convert free users to paid?"

**11:00 - Make a map**
Customer journey map:

[Actor] → [Action 1] → [Action 2] → [Goal] ↓ ↓ [Touchpoint] [Touchpoint]

Simple is better. Show how customers interact.

**1:00 - Ask the experts**
Interview team members and stakeholders.
20 minutes each. "How Might We" notes.

**How Might We (HMW):**
Turn problems into opportunities.
Problem: "Users don't understand pricing"
HMW: "How might we make pricing instantly clear?"

**3:30 - Organize HMWs**
Affinity map the HMW notes.
Dot vote on most important.

**4:30 - Pick a target**
Choose ONE part of the map to focus on.
Decider makes the call.

### Monday Output
- Long-term goal on wall
- Sprint questions on wall
- Map on wall
- Target circled on map

---

## Tuesday: Sketch

### Goal
Generate solutions. Everyone contributes.

### Schedule

**10:00 - Lightning demos**
Show inspiring solutions from other products/industries.
3 minutes each. Capture "Big Ideas" on post-its.

**11:30 - Divide or swarm**
If multiple targets, assign team members to each.
If one target, everyone tackles it.

**1:00 - Four-step sketch (individual work)**

**Step 1: Notes (20 min)**
Walk around room. Take notes on what's there.
Review goals, map, HMWs, demos.

**Step 2: Ideas (20 min)**
Write rough ideas. No polish.
Quantity over quality.

**Step 3: Crazy 8s (8 min)**
Fold paper into 8 sections.
1 minute per section: sketch a variation.
Forces rapid iteration.

**Step 4: Solution sketch (30-90 min)**
Create a 3-panel storyboard.
Self-explanatory (words + pictures).
Anonymous (no names).

**Key rules:**
- Work alone (no groupthink)
- No collaboration yet
- Keep sketches anon