Refined at Google Ventures by Jake Knapp and documented in the book Sprint. Monday sets the long-term goal and sprint question, then maps the problem. Tuesday, each person sketches solutions alone. Wednesday, the team critiques every sketch and commits to one storyboard. Thursday builds a prototype that looks and feels real in a single day. Friday tests it in five one-on-one interviews with real users.
The core idea is refusing to let decisions drag out. Discussion, decision-making, and validation that would normally sprawl across weeks get compressed into one forced week, so the team hears real reactions before it gets too attached to an idea. A single pre-appointed Decider is also part of the format — specifically to stop debate from running indefinitely.
If the double diamond is the conceptual shape of a design process, a design sprint is one diverge-converge cycle from it pinned to an actual runnable schedule — five days, specific activities on specific days.
When to use
Use it for a big, risky decision where debate keeps dragging on — to force it through building something real and showing it to users within a single week.