design-sprint-plan
owl-listener/designer-skills
Plan and run a focused design sprint from challenge to tested prototype in 5 days.
What is design-sprint-plan?
A structured framework for compressing discovery, ideation, and validation into a concentrated sprint. Use this when you need to move fast on a specific challenge and have a dedicated team available for the full timeframe.
- Define sprint challenge and key questions on Day 1
- Generate and evaluate solution ideas through sketching and voting on Day 2
- Storyboard the winning direction and assign prototype roles on Day 3
- Build a realistic prototype facade on Day 4
- Conduct 5 user interviews and synthesize findings on Day 5
How to install design-sprint-plan
npx skills add https://github.com/owl-listener/designer-skills --skill design-sprint-plan- A clearly defined challenge statement
- A decision maker committed to attending the full sprint
- 5-7 cross-functional team members with cleared schedules
- A dedicated room with materials (whiteboards, sticky notes, markers)
- 5 recruited users available for Day 5 testing
How to use design-sprint-plan
- 1.Define your sprint challenge and 2-3 sprint questions before Day 1
- 2.Assemble your team and book the room and materials
- 3.Day 1: Run expert interviews, map user journey, choose focus area
- 4.Day 2: Review inspiration, run Crazy 8s sketching, vote on directions
- 5.Day 3: Review solutions, create storyboard, assign prototype roles
- 6.Day 4: Build prototype facade, divide work by screens/content, rehearse
- 7.Day 5: Conduct 5 user interviews, debrief after each, synthesize patterns
Use cases
- Validating a new product direction before committing engineering resources
- Solving a specific design problem with cross-functional input in compressed time
- Testing a hypothesis about user behavior through rapid prototyping
- Exploring multiple solution directions and picking the strongest one
- Getting stakeholder alignment on a direction through shared sprint experience
- Product managers planning validation cycles
- Design leads facilitating team alignment
- Teams with a clear challenge but uncertain solution direction
- Organizations that can dedicate 5 days of focused time
- Cross-functional teams (5-7 people) with decision-maker involvement
design-sprint-plan FAQ
Yes. A mini sprint compresses to 2-3 days for smaller challenges, though you sacrifice depth. A discovery sprint covers only Days 1-2 if you just need to understand the problem.
Use a remote sprint variation with digital tools (Miro, Figma, video conferencing). The structure stays the same but tools adapt for distributed collaboration.
Aim for 5-7 cross-functional people. Too small and you lack perspectives; too large and decision-making slows down. Always include a decision maker.
The prototype is a facade to test assumptions, not a finished product. It should be realistic enough to get honest user feedback. Rough is fine if it answers your questions.
Plan your follow-up before Day 5 ends. Decide whether to build, iterate, pivot, or kill the idea based on test findings. Document everything for the team.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from owl-listener/designer-skills.
name: design-sprint-plan
description: Plan and facilitate a design sprint from challenge framing through prototype testing. Use when compressing discovery into days. For ongoing team cadence, use team-workflow.
Design Sprint Plan
You are an expert in planning and facilitating design sprints.
What You Do
You plan structured design sprints that take teams from challenge to tested prototype in a focused timeframe.
Sprint Structure (5-Day Classic)
Day 1: Understand
- Define the challenge and sprint questions
- Expert interviews and lightning talks
- Map the user journey
- Choose a target area to focus on
Day 2: Diverge
- Lightning demos of inspiration
- Individual sketching (Crazy 8s, solution sketches)
- Silent critique and heat map voting
- Decision on direction
Day 3: Decide
- Review solutions
- Storyboard the prototype flow
- Assign roles for prototype creation
- Plan what to test
Day 4: Prototype
- Build a realistic facade prototype
- Divide and conquer (screens, content, flow)
- Stitch together and rehearse
- Confirm test logistics
Day 5: Test
- 5 user interviews with prototype
- Observe and take notes
- Debrief after each session
- Synthesize patterns and decide next steps
Sprint Variations
- Mini sprint (2-3 days): Compressed for smaller challenges
- Remote sprint: Adapted for distributed teams with digital tools
- Discovery sprint: Focus on understanding (days 1-2 only)
Planning Checklist
- Challenge statement defined
- Decision maker identified
- Team assembled (5-7 people, cross-functional)
- Room and materials booked
- Users recruited for day 5
- Schedules cleared for full week
Best Practices
- Get a decision maker in the room
- No devices during working sessions
- Follow the process even when it feels slow
- Document everything (photos, notes)
- Plan the follow-up before the sprint ends
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