Sprint framework

Focus: User-Centered Design

Phase 1 generally aligns with the first week of the sprint. Understand your users before choosing a solution, then turn your findings into ideas and low-fidelity prototypes.

%%{init: { "flowchart": { "htmlLabels": false, "diagramPadding": 16 } } }%%
flowchart TD
    A["Empathy interviews"]
    B["Define POV and HMW"]
    C["Explore ideas and PinUps"]
    D["Low-fidelity prototype"]
    A --> B --> C --> D

Understand Your Users

Conduct empathy interviews and observe how people currently approach the problem.

  • Ask about their goals, challenges, and existing workarounds.
  • Listen for needs rather than asking users to approve your idea.
  • Record useful quotes, observations, and unexpected insights.
  • Use an empathy map or user journey to organize your findings.

Define the Problem

Write a Point of View (POV) statement grounded in your research:

[User] needs [need] because [insight].

For example: busy students need a quick way to find study groups because they struggle to connect with peers in large classes.

Frame How Might We (HMW) questions that invite solutions without prescribing one:

  • How might we help students discover study opportunities?
  • How might we help students form meaningful academic connections?
  • How might we reduce the effort of organizing study sessions?

Keep the questions focused enough to guide your work and open enough to allow different ideas.

Ideate and Share

Explore several possible solutions through brainstorming, sketches, mind maps, or storyboards.

  • Defer judgment while generating ideas.
  • Build on teammates’ suggestions.
  • Connect each idea to your POV and HMW questions.
  • Share visual ideas in a PinUp and use feedback to choose a direction.

Organize the Work

Create a GitHub Projects board with To Do, In Progress, and Done columns.

Write user stories in the form “As a [user], I want [goal] so that [benefit].” Break them into issues and prioritize the work by user value and effort.

Create a Low-Fidelity Prototype

Make the proposed experience tangible without building the full product.

  • Use paper sketches, Canva, or Figma for interface mockups.
  • Use draw.io or Mermaid for system and interaction diagrams.
  • Focus on the main user need, not visual polish.
  • Present the prototype to your Product Owner (teacher) and record feedback.

Phase Outcomes

  • Empathy research and a clear POV statement.
  • HMW questions grounded in user needs.
  • Visual ideas shared through a PinUp.
  • A Kanban board with initial user stories and issues.
  • A low-fidelity prototype ready to guide Phase 2.

Resources

Next: Phase 2 — Build