Picture this.
Your quarterly reports come in, and something seems amiss. Maybe your marketing strategy is a bit old hat? Perhaps you’re getting pipped at the post by your competitors? Or maybe your colleagues are in need of a morale boost?
Clearly something needs to change, but you don’t have the time to spend weeks or maybe even months coming up with a clever solution.
These are the ideal conditions for a Design Sprint to flourish – an agile way of addressing your business’ ills and moving it forward. So, what exactly is a Design Sprint? And what makes Hethel’s so special? Worry not- here’s everything you might want to know about our Sprints.
In the beginning…
The birthplace of the Design Sprint is claimed by sunny Silicon Valley, Northern California’s world-renowned tech and enterprise hub. Eleven years ago, while toiling away at GV, Google’s investment and innovation subsidiary, Jake Knapp conceived of a novel way to streamline the product development procedure – and most crucially, save a few pennies in the process by pioneering a way of delivering a tried and tested product in under a week. And just like that, the Design Sprint was born – Mazel tov!
Design Sprint 101 …
For those uninitiated with the traditional Design Sprint model, here’s the gist. In the face of a business challenge, a small yet mighty in-house team is selected to come together and tackle said challenge. Each team member brings their own expertise to the table – a bit like the Avengers, but much cooler. Once assembled, the team embarks on a journey with five distinct stages in order to understand what they are trying to create, explore new ideas, agree on the best one, build a prototype, and then test it out on real life people.
By dedicating one working day to each stage, this fast-paced but disciplined approach to problem solving allows meaningful solutions to be made in a pinch. Sounds good, right?
Now for the Hethel Way of Doing Things…
Hethel Innovation appreciates the diversity of businesses in need of a helping hand and understands that everyone’s needs are different. Therefore, our idea of a Design Sprint looks a little different but is no less effective at delivering results.
We take a much more open-minded approach to how a quick turnaround can positively impact a business. We see the full spectrum of issues that can be addressed with one of our own trusty sprints – not just developing a product.
Now, here’s the good bit. We also understand that not everyone has the luxury of clearing their diaries for a week to devote time to one single issue. That’s why our sprint process is tailored specifically to however long you and your business can spare. How about one, or maybe even two days instead of five? – That sounds much more doable.
Better yet, with a Hethel Innovation sprint you have access to our trusted advisors who will plan, guide you through and follow up on your sprint to ensure that your goal has been met in a jiffy.
So, there you have it, the Hethel Design Sprint. Remember – it’s a sprint, not a marathon.
If this is right up your alley, then reach out to one of our advisors. You’ll find them at info@hethelinnovation.com or 01953 859100.
If you’d like to learn more about us and how else we can help, visit our Business Support page.
This article was written by Sophie Bitten – a graduate of University of East Anglia, as part of the Gateway to Growth scheme.
Gateway to Growth is an innovative project designed to unlock the talents of graduates and Norfolk’s thriving small-medium enterprises.
To find out how you can get involved with Gateway to Growth, visit their website.
