To help a larger organization imagine a product from scratch, I adapted the design sprint format into a distributed program that could fit around real team constraints. The result was a repeatable cadence for cross-functional workshops, actionable product backlog inputs, and executive readouts that connected exploratory design work to broader roadmap and business conversations.
Challenge
- Hybrid remote and in person across diverse teams
- US and Canada offices with diverse equipment
- Limited availability from teams
- High visibility inside company
Approach
- Condensed traditional format into a more sustainable playbook consisting of one hour workshops over the course of a week
- Generated backlog of HMW questions
- Monthly cadence to focus on one at a time
- Actionable outcomes recorded in various scrum backlogs
- Regular readouts with executive team and stakeholders
Outcome
- Growth in trust and visibility of design roadmap
- Readouts laddering up into corporate and investor relations communications
- Well-defined backlog of ideas for future sessions
- Culture shift toward building ahead of the market
Structure
We adapted the design sprint structure to both lay the groundwork for Project Voltron, as well as foster a culture of building ahead of the market instead of in reaction to it. Not only did we emerge from our original session with a prioritized roadmap of features for the product design team to work against, but also a well defined backlog of ideas for future sessions. Our original group met back on a defined cadence to engage with new ideas.
Outcomes
We adapted the design sprint structure to both lay the groundwork for Project Voltron, as well as foster a culture of building ahead of the market instead of in reaction to it. Not only did we emerge from our original session with a prioritized roadmap of features for the product design team to work against, but also a well defined backlog of ideas for future sessions. Our original group met back on a defined cadence to engage with new ideas.
