The Product Vision Sprint is a process of workshopping, making and testing a product vision that will align and inspire your team, based on the principles of the Google Ventures Design Sprint.
THE PROBLEM
There's a lot of information out there on product vision, and since you're reading this you probably know the importance of having a strong one.
But when it comes time to actually create one, where do you turn? Canvases. Fill-in-the-blank vision statements. Useful? Possibly. But inspiring and compelling? Not so much.
Your product needs and deserves a vision that inspires and motivates - the only problem is.... how?
THE SOLUTION
What makes for a memorable product vision is the same thing that makes for a great TV show or film - a visual story starring a hero (your customer).
The good news is that you don't need to be a visionary or creative genius to come up with a compelling story for your product - you just need the right process and people, and done in a way that doesn't drag on for months or break the bank.
Introducing our answer to the theory-practice gap in product vision - the Product Vision Sprint.
Based on the principles and double-diamond design thinking approach of the Google Design Sprint, the Product Vision Sprint is a practical process for creating a compelling, memorable product vision.
Designed remote-first, it can be completed in as little as five days, with two half-day workshops involving key stakeholders.
PROCESS
There are three key phases to the Product Vision Sprint:
OUTPUTS
The value proposition of your product, summarised into a catchy statement. Think of this as your story's plot summary.
A story of your customer's experience with your product in the idealised future, visualised in a storyboard or comic book format. This is your story's trailer or preview.
A memorable statement that accompanies your Vision Story, depicting the picture of a better place in the future you building towards. This is your story's happily ever after.
TEAM
THE CONDUCTOR
Whether it be a PM, Head of Product or company founder, as the Product Leader you are the ultimate owner and driver of the vision.
You will be responsible for ensuring the sprint's success from scheduling, sourcing research & consulting stakeholders.
THE CREATORS
The Product Leader and a few key team members like Design & Engineering Lead, as well as someone with illustrative skills.
This will be the team responsible for bringing together the workshop outputs into the final cohesive Product Vision.
THE CONTRIBUTORS
The Sprint Squad, plus key stakeholders that will take part in two half-day workshops, as well as testing interviews.
This team will provide inputs, ideas and inspiration that will shape the vision and ensure that everyone's voices are heard.
OUTCOMES
A new skillset for product envisioning that you can apply to other products across your organisation, and take with you into the future.
The process forces everyone to think about the best possible outcomes for the customer, and the storyboard brings it to life.
Achieve in a week what would likely take months, with fast results that can then be iterated and refined, rather than endless meetings and unstructured brainstorming sessions that end in frustration.
The 5-day process maximises stakeholder face-time and removes siloed conversations, ensuring all voices are heard in contributing to a shared vision.
Taking core principles from the Google Design Sprint that includes time-boxed periods of working together and alone.
A great bonding experience that will leave your team feeling more connected and energized towards a common goal.
READY TO SPRINT?
With our facilitated Product Vision Sprint service, you’ll get:
4 half-day workshops run by our expert vision sprint facilitators, so you can focus on the vision and leave the rest to us.
All the templates we use to run the sprint - including Miro boards, checklists, email templates and more.
Fully facilitated through Zoom & Miro to suit teams across borders and timezones.
Our professional illustrators will bring your Vision Story to life through a Pixar-quality storyboard.
Christopher Welge - Teamlead Digital Product, Home Shopping Europe
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OUR STORY
In our consulting work with product companies, we were noticing a recurring theme. Product Vision was often something overlooked and underrated, given far less little time and attention than it so clearly deserved, and with it, product teams were missing out on a tremendous opportunity.
In search of a better way, what we found was a gap between the theory of product vision and practice.
After research, testing, iterating and refining the Product Vision Sprint was borne - a distillation of our combined three decades of experience across film, storytelling, digital product and design thinking.
Since then, we received a lot of traction and interest in the process off the back of this article and have since gone on to help a number of companies bring their Product Visions to life.
We hope you find the process valuable in crafting your product vision. Who knows, maybe we'll have the privilege of helping you next!
Kelsey & Leigh.
OUR VISION
Our vision is a world where everyone working in Product can find purpose in their work with a crystal clear view of how they contribute to building a better future.
Finding purpose starts with a clear & compelling vision, and to get there, we want to help change the way you (Product Leaders) approach Product Vision by:
Helping you craft a compelling, inspiring product vision that will rally your team and move them to action, and
Teaching you a repeatable process along the way for you to add to your toolkit.
PRODUCT LEADERS
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