Disqus’ Example Discovery Sprint

2017 Q4

Why?

At the end of day 2 we’ll know what solutions to prototype and test.

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At the end of this Sprint we’ll have a few prototypes with user feedback to be analyzed and worked into our roadmap.

What’s a discovery sprint?

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1. No phones or computers in the room
2. Everyone participates
3. Don’t get too attached to any one idea
4. One conversation at a time
5. Stay on time and on topic

Some ground rules

How to stay on topic 101.

Feat. yellow stickies and sharpies.

Introducing the…

IDEA PARKING LOT!

Not “No…” or “Yes, but”

Constructive “Yes, and” and “Yes, Because”

Not solutions.

Today we’re talking about problems

This might push you outside your comfort zone, you might feel a bit rushed. But it’s sprint and we’re going to come out with some great ideas.

Have fun!

Let’s get started!

The goal of this initiative is for ________ to ________. The solution should ________.

The Initiative

10 min — Ends at 00:00

Research, Past Work, Competitive Analysis

• What related research is available?
• What prior work have we done in this area?
• What similar products exist? How are they good? Bad?

30 min — Ends at 00:00

Goals & Anti-Goals

• High-level objectives, NOT features
• Team should agree on each goal, if not it is an anti-goal, same for anti-goals
• Identify top 3 goals and underline #1 goal
• Example of Anti-Goal: Mobile/email design because our user needs to do heavy analysis on the desktop.

20 min — Ends at 00:00

Facts & Assumptions

• Fact: what we know
• Assumption: what we’re not sure of
• 5 min to individually document facts vs. assumptions, 15 min to review facts and assumptions
• Anyone can challenge a fact or assumption

20 min — Ends at 00:00

5 Min Break

Come back by 3:15

How Might We

• Giant brainstorm!
• Explore possibilities, opportunities, challenges, potential problem areas, your own thoughts
• These are notes about anything related to the initiative, starting with “How might we…”
• 10 mins to brainstorm
• 10 mins to review and begin sorting

20 min — Ends at 00:00

Sort How Might We

• Continue sorting
• Identify themes and groupings

10 min — Ends at 00:00

Vote on How Might We

• Use your stickers to vote on the groups or individual cards you find most important
• 3 mins to vote
• 2 mins to review and discuss

5 min — Ends at 00:00

10 Min Break

Come back by 4:00

Disqus wants to help [type of person], with [problem to be solved] so that [motivations user has to solve the problem]. The solution should [how the solution should ideally work].

Define the problem with a Problem Statement

20 min — Ends at 00:00

Understand the People

• Who does the problem statement apply to?
• What is their background?
• What are their goals? Motivations?
• What do they currently do to achieve their goals? Workarounds?
• How do they know they’re successful?

5 min — Ends at 00:00

Make a Customer Journey Map

List customers and key players on the left. Draw the ending, with your completed goal, on the right. Finally, make a flowchart in between showing how customers interact with your product. Keep it simple: five to fifteen steps.

15 min — Ends at 00:00

Review with Stakeholders

• Go over work with stakeholders
• Different people present different parts

20 min — Ends at 00:00

EOD Retrospective

• How did this feel?
• Stop doing?
• Continue doing?
• Start doing?

5 min — Ends at 00:00

Day 1 Done!

Good work everyone :)

Welcome to Day 2!

Today’s Agenda

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Let’s get started!

Review our work

• Review existing material, facts and assumptions
• Make adjustments and updates
• Everyone take their own personal notes of ideas they’re personally interested in or ideas that come up as we go

10 min — Ends at 00:00

• Get Creative!
• Don’t get too attached to any one idea
• Can be anything, ideas, solutions, thoughts

Crazy 8s: Get Creative

15 min — Ends at 00:00

• Make more ideas!
• Use more paper as we go
• More time to sketch in this round

Crazy 8s: Round 2

20 min — Ends at 00:00

• Iterate on a previous sketch or make a new one
• Storyboard show a person’s interaction with your idea
• Does not need explanation
• Give it a catchy title & put it on the board when you’re done

Storyboard Your Idea

10 min — Ends at 00:00

• As soon as you’re done with your storyboard, begin reviewing others
• Place post-its below their storyboard with questions, concerns, and feedback

Silent Critique

5 min — Ends at 00:00

• Fast-paced, Max 2-mins per storyboard
• Talk about what you liked
• Talk about what you didn’t like / concerns
• Person who drew it talks about if we missed something important

Lightning Group Critique

15 min — Ends at 00:00

• You get 3 regular votes and 1 super vote
• The super votes goes to what you deem is the most special ❄︎

Super Votes!

15 min — Ends at 00:00

5 Min Break

Come back by 3:30

• Wireframes should look like the actual solution you can walk someone through
• We’re going to break into pairs for this exercise

Wireframing an MVP

15 min — Ends at 00:00

• Pick an Idea — from the board or a new one
• When you’re done, give it a catchy title and put it on the board

Wireframing MVP in Pairs

15 min — Ends at 00:00

• Each group presents their wireframes
• Max 3-mins per group

Present Wireframes

10 min — Ends at 00:00

Switch Partners. Wireframe Again!

15 min — Ends at 00:00

• Same deal
• Iterate on a previous idea or wireframe a new idea

• Each group presents their wireframes
• Max 3-mins per group

Present Wireframes

10 min — Ends at 00:00

• Vote out of all the wireframes created ~10
• 3 regular votes and 2 super votes

Vote on Favorites

10 min — Ends at 00:00

• Pairs present their wireframes, starting with wireframes with the most votes

Stakeholder Review

10 min — Ends at 00:00

EOD Retrospective

• How did this feel?
• Stop doing?
• Continue doing?
• Start doing?

5 min — Ends at 00:00

Day 2 Done!

Good work everyone :)