Ah, the Design Sprint. That magical week where your team tackles big problems, creates dazzling prototypes, and solves all the world’s challenges in five days—or so we’re led to believe. When Design Sprints work, they’re fantastic. But when they go wrong, it’s like herding cats through quicksand. To save you from the pain, here’s how to keep your Sprint from going belly up and ensure it delivers actual value.

1. Prep Like Your Life Depends on It

The first rule of Design Sprints? Preparation, preparation, and...you guessed it—more preparation. A common mistake is jumping in with vague goals like, “We want to improve customer experience.” Well, what exactly does that mean? Are we talking about the onboarding process? A clunky feature? Someone’s dodgy colour choices?

Before you begin, make sure your problem is as clear as a day at the beach. Focus on a specific challenge, gather relevant data, and line up all your research ducks. Not doing this will send your Sprint into a chaotic spiral before you’ve even scribbled your first Post-it​.

2. Assemble the Right Cast

Much like making a good cuppa, your Design Sprint needs the right ingredients. The Sprint isn’t just about fancy job titles or who has the nicest chair in the office. You need a diverse mix of people—creative thinkers, tech-savvy folks, decision-makers, and ideally, a few who’ve got their hands dirty with the problem you’re tackling.

Most importantly, make sure your decider (the big cheese making the final call) has actual authority. If they’re going to keep running back to their boss to check everything, you’re doomed. You need someone who can make decisions on the spot and stick to them​.

3. Less is More: Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

A common Sprint pitfall is trying to solve too many problems at once. You’re not going to redesign an entire product in five days, no matter how many energy drinks you chug. The key is to focus on one specific problem. Take the example from Jake Knapp’s famous Design Sprint book: a coffee company trying to encourage customers to try new flavours. That’s it. A single behaviour change.

Keep the scope tight, and everyone will feel more productive (and less likely to fling Post-its in frustration)​.

4. It’s About Learning, Not Just Building

Remember, a Design Sprint isn’t just a speed-building session. It’s a week of rapid learning. You’re testing assumptions, gathering insights, and seeing what flies. That prototype you built? Think of it as a scrappy draft—not the final masterpiece.

The point is to learn what works and what doesn’t. If you’re treating the Sprint as a shortcut to building your finished product, you’re missing the point. Be prepared to bin the prototype if the user feedback says it’s a dud​.

5. What Happens After the Sprint? Don’t Let It Fizzle Out

One of the worst Sprint traps is the post-Sprint black hole. Everyone’s buzzing, you’ve got a flashy prototype, and then... nothing. No follow-up, no plan, no progress. It’s like building a sandcastle and then just watching the tide wash it away.

To avoid this, make sure there’s a clear plan for what happens next. Who’s responsible for iterating on the prototype? How will you continue testing? If you don’t know, get it sorted before the Sprint ends. Otherwise, all that energy will disappear faster than free doughnuts at the office​.

6. Be Ready to Pivot on a Dime

The best Sprints are the ones where teams are willing to adapt on the fly. If you realise halfway through that the solution isn’t working, don’t panic—pivot! Just because you spent three days prototyping doesn’t mean it’s gospel. It’s okay to adjust as you learn more​.

7. Tailor the Sprint to Your Needs

Not all Sprints are created equal. Feel free to tweak the process to suit your team. If you need more time to brainstorm or less time to prototype, go ahead and adjust. The goal is to get the most value out of the week, not to follow the steps to the letter​.

Conclusion: Design Sprints Are About Learning, Not Perfection

A Design Sprint done right can be a game-changer. It’s not about building the final product but about learning what works, what doesn’t, and how to move forward. By focusing on preparation, bringing the right people in, and following up after the Sprint, you’ll avoid the typical pitfalls. And remember—prototypes are disposable, but the insights are gold dust.