Remote virtual Design Sprint

It is important for each participant to have the basic equipment: a computer with a good microphone or headset, a webcam, and a fast internet connection.

Participants should also have access to a modern browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox as well as some paper and a for sketching exercises.

During the Sprint, our co-facilitator will deal with minor technical issues related to the internet connection or tools without disturbing others.

Besides the obvious ones, i.e., working from different locations and using online tools, the rest of the virtual Sprint process is very similar to the in-person Design Sprint. We don’t modify the Design Sprint process so that we can still ensure the quality of the outcomes, but we can adapt the working hours, especially if your team works across time zones.

We cannot afford to keep the team away from work for that many days. Can we shorten the Design Sprint?

The Design Sprint is a process where the Sprint Team designs a solution to solve a challenge, creates a prototype of it, and tests it on users. We rarely shorten our Sprints to ensure the quality of the final outcomes.

Sometimes, the challenge you are working on might not need a full Sprint. We adapt to client needs and create shorter workshops. We can propose our Strategic Alignment workshop to align teams fast so that they can define and take strategic decisions without losing time. These kinds of workshops typically last one or two days depending on the outcomes needed.
If you are contemplating whether a Design Sprint is the right choice for your challenge, don’t hesitate to contact us at contact@design-sprint.com and we’ll help you to find the perfect process for your needs.

The precise answer depends on the experience of the design sprint leader and the dynamics of the team.

In general, virtual facilitation and participation is hard and requires a lot of soft skills and personal energy. However, the Design Sprint is designed to take these factors into account.

The Design Sprint is a time-boxed process that follows a set of exercises, each requiring different levels of focus. The moments that require a high level of focus can last up to but no longer than one hour. The time-boxed exercises make it easy to add a break whenever it is needed.

Also, in order to minimize distractions and keep the focus high, we start the day at 9AM and finish around 5PM. This allows the team to have enough time to answer emails, do their urgent tasks, and even fulfill busy-parent responsibilities.

During the active working time – YES! It’s important for keeping a team’s energy and focus.
You can turn it off during the breaks if you feel like it.

Having the camera on should make you feel as if your whole Sprint team is in the same room. It might be a bit weird at the beginning, but after the first hour or so, you will get totally used to it.

When you are working from a physical space, you are interacting with others, and maybe you go to get your coffee or have a small chat with others. It creates a particular dynamic between the team members needed for efficient communication. You can have a quite similar experience with remote working tools, but everyone needs to commit to playing by the same rules.

Sure! Our team has tried almost every tool available at the moment. To optimize the experience of the remote virtual Design Sprint we use; Mural, an online whiteboard where every participant can work at the same time; Zoom, our video conferencing tool; Figma, our go-to tool for prototyping. These tools make it easy for everyone to collaborate at the same time. But we can adapt and use tools like Skype, Google Hangouts, Miro, Webex, Teams; you name it.

Decentralized teams can collaborate to solve problems fast by using a proven process that delivers precise results without raising additional costs for accommodation, travel, renting a venue, food, etc.

Yes!
We have some experience in running Design Sprints remotely with participants from various countries.

In recent Sprints with NGOs, participants especially in Nigeria, Burkina, and Lebanon have experienced connection issues and even power outages throughout the week. Since the Sprints didn’t last 2 hours but several days, there was always a way to get them back on track, as multiple exercises can be done offline and then reintegrated on the canvas at a later point in time.
Generally, participants located in countries with poorer internet connections were always patient and resilient to tech issues. They are used to experiencing connection issues and know exactly how to deal with it. And as we are expert Design Sprint facilitators, we know there’s always a way to find quick solutions.

Lastly, we have had a special Canvas built for us in order to reduce bandwidth usage, making the Design Sprint accessible to all.