How do I install the Design Sprint skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add bg-szy/design-sprint in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Design Sprint safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Design Sprint?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Design Sprint free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under MIT.

Who published Design Sprint?

bg-szy (@bg-szy) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Design Sprint by bg-szy — Agent Skill

Name: Design Sprint
Author: bg-szy

Design Sprint

Run a structured 5-day process to prototype, test, and validate product ideas with real users. Use when the user mentions "design sprint", "validate in a week", "rapid prototype", "test with users", "de-risk before building", "GV sprint", "prototype testing", or "design workshop". Also trigger when a team needs to make a critical product decision quickly, resolve stakeholder disagreements, or test risky ideas before investing in development. Covers mapping, sketching, deciding, prototyping, and testing. For ongoing experimentation, see lean-startup. For customer job analysis, see jobs-to-be-done.

bg-szy Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Design Sprint Framework

Core Framework

The Design Sprint compresses product development cycles into five days: Map (Monday), Sketch (Tuesday), Decide (Wednesday), Prototype (Thursday), and Test (Friday).

Prerequisites:

Important problem worth dedicated focus
Decision maker + 4-7 diverse team members
Full 5 days (10am-5pm, uninterrupted)
Dedicated workspace with whiteboards

Scoring: Rate 0-10 based on adherence to structure, time-boxing, prototyping, and user testing.

Daily Breakdown

Monday: Map

Define 2-year goal and sprint questions
Map customer journey (5-15 steps)
Interview experts, capture "How Might We" opportunities
Select target customer moment for focus

Tuesday: Sketch

Lightning demos for inspiration
Individual solution sketches (no group brainstorming)
Four-step process: Notes → Ideas → Crazy 8s → Solution Sketch
Anonymous 3-panel storyboards showing user experience

Wednesday: Decide

Gallery critique with silent dot voting
Decider uses supervote (3 dots override)
Create 10-15 panel storyboard for prototype
Combine best ideas into unified solution

Thursday: Prototype

Assign roles: Makers, Stitcher, Writer, Collector, Interviewer
Build realistic facade (not working code)
Tools: Figma, Keynote, or prototyping platforms
Trial run before Friday testing

Friday: Test

Conduct 5 customer interviews (30 minutes each)
Five-act structure: Welcome → Context → Introduce → Tasks → Debrief
Team observes, records patterns
Identify what worked, what failed, next steps

Key Principles

Five customers reveal patterns after 3-5 interviews; diminishing returns after 5
Prototype fidelity: Facade quality—realistic enough for honest reactions, not production-ready
No explaining: Let users interpret and struggle; observe confusion
Decider authority: Final call on Tuesday solutions and Wednesday decision
Time protection: No interruptions; full commitment required

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Error	Solution
Skip prototyping	Always build, even simply
Over-engineer prototype	Focus on facade only
Test wrong users	Screen for target customers
Explain to users	Let them struggle independently
No decision maker	Commitment required or postpone
Interruptions	Protect focus entirely

Variations

4-Day Sprint: Compress Map + Sketch into Day 1
Remote Sprint: Use Miro/FigJam, Zoom, same structure
Multi-Sprint: Sequential sprints on broad → detailed → refined problems

Diagnostic Checklist

Confirm before sprinting:

Decider committed for full week
Problem important enough
Prototype feasible in 1 day
Can recruit 5 target users
Team protected from interruptions

Source: Framework developed at Google Ventures by Jake Knapp; detailed in "Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days" by Knapp, Zeratsky, and Kowitz.

---name: design-sprintdescription: Run a structured 5-day process to prototype, test, and validate product ideas with real users. Use when the user mentions "design sprint", "validate in a week", "rapid prototype", "test with users", "de-risk before building", "GV sprint", "prototype testing", or "design workshop". Also trigger when a team needs to make a critical product decision quickly, resolve stakeholder disagreements, or test risky ideas before investing in development. Covers mapping, sketching, deciding, prototyping, and testing. For ongoing experimentation, see lean-startup. For customer job analysis, see jobs-to-be-done.license: MIT---# Design Sprint Framework## Core FrameworkThe Design Sprint compresses product development cycles into five days: Map (Monday), Sketch (Tuesday), Decide (Wednesday), Prototype (Thursday), and Test (Friday).**Prerequisites:**- Important problem worth dedicated focus- Decision maker + 4-7 diverse team members- Full 5 days (10am-5pm, uninterrupted)- Dedicated workspace with whiteboards**Scoring:** Rate 0-10 based on adherence to structure, time-boxing, prototyping, and user testing.---## Daily Breakdown**Monday: Map**- Define 2-year goal and sprint questions- Map customer journey (5-15 steps)- Interview experts, capture "How Might We" opportunities- Select target customer moment for focus**Tuesday: Sketch**- Lightning demos for inspiration- Individual solution sketches (no group brainstorming)- Four-step process: Notes → Ideas → Crazy 8s → Solution Sketch- Anonymous 3-panel storyboards showing user experience**Wednesday: Decide**- Gallery critique with silent dot voting- Decider uses supervote (3 dots override)- Create 10-15 panel storyboard for prototype- Combine best ideas into unified solution**Thursday: Prototype**- Assign roles: Makers, Stitcher, Writer, Collector, Interviewer- Build realistic facade (not working code)- Tools: Figma, Keynote, or prototyping platforms- Trial run before Friday testing**Friday: Test**- Conduct 5 customer interviews (30 minutes each)- Five-act structure: Welcome → Context → Introduce → Tasks → Debrief- Team observes, records patterns- Identify what worked, what failed, next steps---## Key Principles- **Five customers reveal patterns** after 3-5 interviews; diminishing returns after 5- **Prototype fidelity:** Facade quality—realistic enough for honest reactions, not production-ready- **No explaining:** Let users interpret and struggle; observe confusion- **Decider authority:** Final call on Tuesday solutions and Wednesday decision- **Time protection:** No interruptions; full commitment required---## Common Mistakes to Avoid| Error | Solution ||-------|----------|| Skip prototyping | Always build, even simply || Over-engineer prototype | Focus on facade only || Test wrong users | Screen for target customers || Explain to users | Let them struggle independently || No decision maker | Commitment required or postpone || Interruptions | Protect focus entirely |---## Variations- **4-Day Sprint:** Compress Map + Sketch into Day 1- **Remote Sprint:** Use Miro/FigJam, Zoom, same structure- **Multi-Sprint:** Sequential sprints on broad → detailed → refined problems---## Diagnostic ChecklistConfirm before sprinting:- [ ] Decider committed for full week- [ ] Problem important enough- [ ] Prototype feasible in 1 day- [ ] Can recruit 5 target users- [ ] Team protected from interruptions---**Source:** Framework developed at Google Ventures by Jake Knapp; detailed in *"Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days"* by Knapp, Zeratsky, and Kowitz.

Frequently asked questions