Posted June 16, 2023 by EdTech Classroom design thinking

Introducing Students to Design Thinking Using a Design Sprint

Originally popularized by Google Ventures, design sprints are highly valuable for teaching Design Thinking because they offer a structured, time-bound framework that guides students through each stage of the Design Thinking process — from start to finish. By participating in a design sprint, students are able to experience each stage of the process and develop a deeper understanding of the iterative nature of product design.

In this blog post, we are discussing strategies for introducing students to the Design Thinking process using a design sprint.

What is a design sprint?

A design sprint is a time-constrained process in which participants follow the principles of Design Thinking to identify problems and create innovative solutions. The concept of a design sprint was popularized by Jake Knapp, a former Google Ventures Design Partner (Google Ventures).

In a professional setting, design sprints typically span 5 days to cover the 5 steps of the Design Thinking process — empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test. The main goal of a design sprint (and a time constraint) is to have participants rapidly prototype and test potential solutions. By compressing the Design Thinking process into a 5-day time period, teams can quickly gain insights before investing a significant amount of time, capital, or resources into product development.

In education, design sprints often occur more rapidly, perhaps taking place over the course of one or two class periods. In my experience teaching elementary through high school students, I typically teach a design sprint in a 1-2 hour lesson.

Teaching Design Sprints in the Classroom

A design sprint models the Design Thinking process, which consists of 5 different stages.

Empathize: The first stage of a design sprint is focused on understanding the problem, needs, or challenges that a person/organization is facing. This stage will consist of gathering information, conducting speed interviews, and doing research to empathize with users (A user in Design Thinking is the person you are designing for). In the classroom, a design sprint often focuses on designing a solution for someone — whether it be another student in the class or someone/a group of people in the greater community. I typically like to have students work in pairs, so they are able to design solutions for each other.
Define: Once participants in a design sprint have identified the needs, challenges, or aspirations of the user, they will need to create a problem statement. A problem statement will summarize the core issue that participants will need to address. In the classroom, I may help students write problem statements by providing them with a sentence stem, such as: “____ (user) needs a way to ____ (do something) in order to _____ (insight).” You can learn more about problem statements on the Stanford d.school website here.
Ideate: After a problem statement has been formulated, participants can begin brainstorming ideas, a process called ideation, without judgment or constraints. The goal here is to brainstorm as many ideas as possible — and to think big. In the classroom, I encourage students to embrace both wild and practical ideas.
Prototype: Participants will need to select one of their ideas — or a combination of several ideas — to begin prototyping. The prototyping stage brings ideas to life through a “first build.” Depending on time and material constraints — as well as the nature of the problem being solved — prototypes can have various forms, from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity physical models or digital mockups. By the end of this stage, participants should have a testable prototype. In the classroom, a testable prototype might look like a detailed diagram of a product or service. Or, perhaps a prototype might be a 3D model developed using maker materials.
Test: Prototype testing will occur through interviews, usability tests, or other evaluation methods. The goal of this stage is to gather information about how well a prototype meets the user’s needs. Then, if time permits, participants will use that feedback to make informed decisions about next steps, as well as improvements. In a design sprint, however, testing may be the final stage, depending on time constraints. In Design Thinking more broadly, the process is iterative, meaning that prototypes are often refined and redesigned based on user feedback. The design process might not end here. In fact, participants will often have to go back to the drawing board!

Design Sprint Examples to Try in the Classroom

To lead a design sprint in your classroom, a great way to get started is to download one of the pre-existing projects from the Stanford d.school. The d.school has several lesson plans that help guide teachers to facilitate projects in their classrooms.

The Wallet Project: The Wallet Project is perhaps the most well-known example of a design sprint — and that’s for a good reason! The project was developed at the Stanford University d.school in 2006 as an activity to introduce students to the Design Thinking process. In the Wallet Project, participants work in pairs to design the “ideal wallet” for each other. Throughout the process, participants learn about each other’s values, needs, and interests — beyond just a typical wallet. This facilitator guide walks educators through each step to leading this design sprint in the classroom. Teaching Entrepreneurship also shares a modified version on their website, which I have used a number of times with students.
The Gift Giving Project: The Gift Giving Project is another one of my favorite design sprints to try with students. I’ve done this activity in a condensed 1-2 hour lesson, as well as over the course of several weeks. In comparison to the Wallet Project, the Gift Giving Project really focuses on empathy. According to the d.school, “The topic of the gift-giving experience was chosen because of the emotional element of the topic (thus better empathy practice) and to encourage experiential (service and system) prototyping.” You can view the facilitator guide here and check out my version of the project here.

If you would prefer to connect your design sprint to your curriculum, you can also lead your own project by formulating an essential question and walking students through the Design Thinking process.