Commerzbank: Running a Design Sprint in the Banking Industry

The odds are high that you’re familiar with design sprints.

The Method

Still, for those who are new to the game some key facts:

This method was developed by Google Ventures and is nowadays wildly used
Design Sprints are a combination of the best practices from Design Thinking, UX Design, Lean Startup and Agile
It’s a framework to validate ideas and solve problems
A Design sprint spans over four days
You cover a series of defined steps including the creation & testing of a prototype

More? Here.

The Case Study

Commerzbank wanted to expand its customer base and launch new business banking products for early-stage founders. Together with an interdisciplinary team and the company-own innovation lab, they used the design sprint method to create, prototype, and test new offerings.

Go have a look at the detailed day-by-day happenings.

The Key Take Away

One important step, the case study doesn’t cover in much detail is the following: Don’t ever forget the pre-work that is required for a successful design sprint. And by that I mean the following steps:

Organize stakeholders
Find a sprint facilitator if you need support
Nominate a sprint lead
Invite cross-functional
Include decision-makers
Team Size of 5-7 is recommended
Prepare the environment
Organize rooms, buy supplies
Clear calendars (team has to focus on the sprint!)
Finalize an agenda (as always, planning is key)
Conduct research
Surveys, interviews, observation - your research lays the groundwork for success, don’t fall for shortcuts
Draft personas
Set expectation
Align on vision and mission statement
Discuss optimal outcomes
Define success criteria
Trust the process