Design Sprint

Makeathon Activity: Design Sprint

A design sprint is a specified amount of time dedicated to work intensely on developing project ideas and designs.

By completing this activity girls will:

outline the tasks necessary to complete the project in the time allotted.
demonstrate the group work skills necessary to complete a complicated project within a time limit.

Introduce girls to the concept of a design sprint, which is a specified amount of time dedicated to working intensely on developing projects.
Ask teams to write down goals for this session, answering the following questions:
- What part of your project will you be working on today?
- What might you need help with in order to make progress?
- What tasks will you need to complete? Remind girls about the driver/navigator roles for coding and have them work in pairs for this task.
The girls may use notes from project check-ins, feedback, and unfocus groups to help guide the goal setting process. This process might also include reflecting on the original project goals. Encourage them to make plans for refinement based on feedback from others.
Give girls self-directed time to work on their projects. Introduce and distribute additional support resources as needed. In addition to peer support, having a collection of readily available support resources helps keep girls from getting stuck. Sample projects can provide ideas and inspiration.
Optional: Ask girls to post their project drafts for others to see.

All design activities are constrained—by time, by resources, by our own abilities at a moment—and compromises need to be made. The open-ended designing sessions are a great opportunity to have conversations with students about essential elements of their projects.
What are the most important aspects of the projects? What can reasonably be accomplished in the remaining time?
Keep an eye on the groups. Are they making reasonable progress? What feedback or suggestions do you have for the projects?

Report abuse