The facts about sprints

There is a lot of time invested devising methods to work smarter, more efficiently and more effectively.
Some see the answer in design sprints – methodology aimed at getting more work out of the building, faster.

Do they work?

Busy-ness looks effective. It looks like you are getting stuff done. When you want to do to make better profits, it’s tempting to just focus on what happens inside the studio. It’s tempting to keep fiddling with who works on what, with what tools, and for how long.

Fact is, the real time is spent in briefing, presenting and debriefing.

Seth Godin uses the analogy of a delivery driver hurtling down the highway trying to save time by getting to the destination quicker – just like asking your design team to do more sprints, take less breaks and use faster computers with faster processors.

But you know what really takes time for a delivery driver? It’s the loading and unloading.

Design is the same.

Real time savings are not necessarily just in the ‘doing’. It’s in the time spent meeting trying to extract the perfect (or at least comprehensive) brief. It’s in the time spent presenting interim designs for approval. And sometimes it’s in the time spent going around roundabouts and making u-turns.

Time savings can be made reducing the stops and starts of a project.

Real productivity gains are in the communication stages of a project: getting clarity at the briefing and setting expectations. Strategic contacts with the client to keep them up to date and pre-empting any concerns.

Basic psychology skills such as listening; understanding decision-making traits and negotiation techniques are what saves time. These skills reduce misunderstandings and re-dos. They make meetings more efficient.

As Seth says: you don’t win races based on your top speed.

PS: Basic psychology skills are incorporated into activities in the People and Culture unit of The Design Studio Management Program. Enrol now and you’ll have a host of new skills to begin the new year.

Want to know more about the Design Studio Management Program? Contact Carol.

 

Got a question? Want to share your point of view? Please feel free to email me.

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