At Chemistry Team, we tackle complex challenges on a daily basis. We resolve these challenges using a design sprint process.
The process helps creative teams rapidly progress from problem to solution using a proven step-by-step checklist. This maximises the chances of large returns as it helps test and calculate risks before implementation. As a result, this testing phase prevents needless resource expenditure before the finalised product. This process is particularly useful as part of any organisation. This is due to the fact that most companies wrestle with issues like a lack of alignment between departments or stunted decision-making by upper-management. This leads to the wastage of an abundance of financial and human resources.
Inspired by the same framework as Google Ventures, we have created sprints that would extend for a longer period of time. As a result of this extended timeframe, we are able to make multiple iterations of our design recommendations. These sprints usually lasts for about a hundred days. They cover everything from research, prototyping, testing, and reiteration. In sum, this rapid collaboration process is designed to bring your team from an initial challenge statement to tangible prototypes.
Organisations welcome the collaborative value of the design sprint process. They recognise that It is a great way to bring together various stakeholders in helping them work towards a shared goal. In addition, this helps avoid misunderstandings about what the final deliverables would be. This unique methodology can also encourage original thinking through experimentation and iteration as well reducing the cost of failure.
In an effort to improve their customer support channels and streamline their customer’s experience, a local telco rolled out several new features to work in tandem with their support hotline. In order to help find out how customers would perceive these changes, the company hired Chemistry Team as strategic design consultants. We saw this an excellent opportunity to utilise a user-centric approach in our design sprint process. This meant that we had to uncover the user’s perception of what exactly a great customer support experience entails.
Firstly, we began with detailed conversations with 15 established customers that varied in demography. Through user interviews, observations, and a customer service audit, we were able to chalk up a wealth of insights. We synthesised these findings to build key personas and a causal feedback loop that helped identify areas of opportunity for behavioural change. As a result of this, we designed initial recommendations and provided a roadmap of ideas for the client’s consideration.
As a result, the client tasked us to work on their website’s support page. Utilising a content-first approach, we conducted a content mapping exercise to identify gaps in the website’s content. As a result of these findings, we were able to generate ideas that would help solve these issues.
We then designed a lo-fi prototype. This came in the form of sketches and click-thru wireframes. Utilising these prototypes, we then conducted usability testing in our testing lab. This permitted the client’s team to observe their customer’s interact with our prototypes in real time. After a few iterations through user feedback, we designed the final User Interface Design. In sum, through content strategy and usable interfaces, customers are now able to resolve their issues independently, without having to resort to hotline support.
The way we sprint is a variation of the process invented by Google Ventures. Their process looked at how to assist startups address the business challenges they faced. It consists of a five-day process for validating ideas to solve big challenges through prototyping and testing ideas with customers. Before beginning the sprint, you must prepare by having a challenge, recruiting a team which has diverse skill sets and lastly, having a space and the right materials to conduct the process.
You can change the amount of time you spend on each task, the activities you perform, the people you get involved with, or the results you’ll receive from the process. In addition, you can explore branding, strategy, research, product development, growth, process and/or new tech ideas with a design sprint. Though we see the incredible merit of this process, we found the timeframe limiting for larger, more complex challenges. This is why we decided to extend each portion of the process substantially. As a result of that, we are able to help our clients and partners dig deep into their problems and devise actionable solutions.
Engage us to help kickstart and guide you through a design sprint. This process is designed to help bring us from challenge statement to prototype through collaboration and innovation.
