Insights and Opinions

03 December 2020

Mapping - The Design Sprint Unpacked

In this series of articles, we’re taking a look at the individual parts which make up a Design Sprint, how each part helps us work towards a user-tested prototype, and how you can use the activity on its own within your business’s Design-led decision making process.

Today, we’re looking at the Customer Journey Mapping step, sometimes referred to simple as “Map”, and the role it plays in the wider Design Sprint. This is a step that will be of particular interest to the User Experience champions on your Sprint Team.

26 November 2020

Sprint Questions - The Design Sprint Unpacked

In this series of articles, we’re going to take a look at the individual parts which make up a Design Sprint, how each part helps us work towards a user-tested prototype, and how you can use the activity on its own within your business’s Design-led decision making process.

Now that we have the Long-Term Goal for our Design Sprint, which will keep the Sprint Team aligned during the process, we now need the Sprint Questions that we’re going to answer before the Sprint is over.

19 November 2020

Long-Term Goals - The Design Sprint Unpacked

In this series of articles, we’re going to take a look at the individual parts which make up a Design Sprint, how each part helps us work towards a user-tested prototype, and how you can use the activity on its own within your business’s Design-led decision making process.

Today’s article is a short but important one, as we take a look at Long-Term Goals, which set the tone and expectations for the entirety of the Design Sprint.

12 November 2020

Icebreakers and Introductions - The Design Sprint Unpacked

In this series of articles, we’re going to take a look at the individual parts which make up a Design Sprint, how each part helps us work towards a user-tested prototype, and how you can use the activity on its own within your business’s Design-led decision making process.

In today’s part, Icebreakers and Introductions, we’ll take a look at the first session of the Design Sprint, where everyone gets to know each other.

05 November 2020

Before the Sprint - The Design Sprint Unpacked

In this series of articles, we’re taking a look at the individual parts which make up a Design Sprint, how each part helps us work towards a user-tested prototype, and how you can use the activity on its own within your business’s Design-led decision making process.

In today’s part, Before the Sprint, we’ll take a look at the activities you’ll need to do and the resources you’ll need to acquire to make sure your Design Sprint goes smoothly, allowing your Sprint Team to run ahead and get things done.

29 October 2020

Introducing "The Design Sprint Unpacked"

In this series of articles, we’re going to take a look at the individual parts which make up a Design Sprint, how each part helps us work towards a user-tested prototype, and how you can use the activity on its own within your business’s Design-led decision making process.

24 September 2020

Three Great Techniques for Reframing Problems and Coming Up with Solutions

We’re living through interesting times. As well as the global challenges that affect every business - COVID-19, Climate Change, increasing resource scarcity - we still have the local and personal challenges that we face as a business, organisation, or even as an individual.

Today, I’d like to share with you three techniques that I’ve found, having tried them with businesses and individuals, work wonders in helping you reframe problems as seeds for potential solutions, flipping them on their head.

18 September 2020

Our Favourite Tips and Tricks for Presenting with Mural

When presenting Workshops, Meet-ups and Remote Design Sprints, Mural is our tool of choice for introducing activity in to the session, helping us to keep everyone engaged. Since we started using Mural earlier this year, we’ve learned a few things that I’d like to share with you about how to best use Mural when presenting, especially if using a tool like Zoom as part of the presentation.

10 September 2020

Seven Tools We Use Everyday As A Remote Design Thinking Consultancy

Earlier this month, after a couple of years of planning, The Familiar transitioned to a fully-remote company. Instead of an office, our team members now work from where they feel most comfortable and productive.

Here are seven tools we use every single day to help us keep in touch, work effectively together, and deliver outstanding value to our clients.

03 September 2020

Eight Ideas in Eight Minutes. The Power of Active Eights.

With Active Eights, everyone in your workshop is expected to come up with, sketch and annotate eight ideas for the question at hand in just eight minutes. With only sixty seconds per sketch, the focus lies on the number of ideas, rather than their fidelity, with workshop members encouraged to go for “out-there” ideas wherever possible.