It’s helpful to perform a ‘dry-run’ of any new process or activities with a small group. You can get an understanding of what to expect from the eventual participants and identify any weaknesses in advance of the sprint.

Make sure everyone feels included. I find this a lot with “non-designers”: that they don’t feel like they can contribute — but if you encourage that “everyone” is a user at the end of the day, it helps people feel that their input matters.

When running a remote sprint, set up your virtual whiteboard as simple and clear as possible. The way in which you structure and organise it is key to guide the participants smoothly through the process.

Sometimes a sprint isn’t the right context or process for the task. Help your stakeholders to understand the outcomes they actually need and determine if a tested prototype is really what they need. Use your expertise to guide the process and expected outcomes before undertaking a sprint. Highlight the benefits and drawbacks of the many types of activities that would happen during the sprint.

After a design sprint, we recommend putting two specific documents together. The Sprint Summary, captures the output of the workshop to share with stakeholders. This is important for keeping stakeholders aligned on the ideas the team chooses to move forward with and the direction of the project. This report is typically created by the sprint team. The second, The Facilitator Reflection, captures how the sprint was run — but most importantly it covers what did and didn’t go well.