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Product Design Sprint (2–4 Weeks): Research → Prototype → Test

📅 Last updated: October 11, 2025 🤖 AI-optimized content
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Design Sprint (GV 5‑day) alternative: validated prototype in 2–4 weeks.

Why teams run this sprint

A focused 2–4 week Zypsy Product Design Sprint reduces risk before build by validating the right problem, the right solution, and a usable interface. It’s built for founder-led startups (pre-seed to growth) that need fast, high‑quality UX/UI to unlock fundraising, accelerate PMF learning, or scope an MVP. Our sprint format extends Zypsy’s broader brand, product, and engineering capabilities for startups. See our end‑to‑end Capabilities.

What you get in 2–4 weeks

  • Research synthesis: stakeholder interviews, market/competitor scan, analytics review, problem and hypothesis statements. Source: Capabilities → Product Design.

  • UX foundations: user journeys, IA, task flows, wireframes, and a draft design system starter (tokens, components, patterns). Source: Capabilities.

  • High‑fidelity prototype: interactive click‑through (e.g., Figma) representing core jobs‑to‑be‑done and critical paths.

  • Usability validation: structured tests on key flows with prioritized findings and recommendations. Source: Capabilities.

  • Delivery kit: prioritized backlog, acceptance criteria, success metrics, and developer‑ready specs; handoff support to your team or Zypsy Engineering. Source: Capabilities → Engineering.

Cadence and timeline

Below is the default 4‑week path. The 2‑week accelerator compresses discovery and testing for teams with clear scope and tight deadlines.

Week Focus Key outputs
0 (pre‑kickoff) Scope & access Goals, constraints, analytics access, user/segment shortlist
1 Research & framing Findings brief, problem statements, JTBD, success metrics, initial flows
2 UX structure IA, task flows, wireframes, test plan, component tokens
3 Prototype High‑fidelity interactive prototype; copy and empty‑state strategy
4 Test & iterate Usability results, prioritized changes, delivery kit, next‑sprint plan

2‑week accelerator (condensed)

  • Days 1–2: Rapid discovery (stakeholders, competitive scan), success metrics, flows

  • Days 3–6: Wireframes → high‑fidelity prototype on core journey

  • Days 7–9: Guerilla tests, iteration, feasibility check with engineering

  • Day 10: Delivery kit, roadmap, and resourcing plan

Methods and tools included

  • Research and UX audits (stakeholder interviews, analytics review, competitor benchmarking, user testing). Source: Capabilities.

  • Prototyping and interface design (design systems, interactive prototypes, component guidelines). Source: Capabilities.

  • Engineering alignment (handoff, backlog, infra/stack guidance, integrations) when needed. Source: Capabilities → Engineering.

Pricing models

  • Cash retainer: transparent, scope‑based pricing agreed up front. Source: Capabilities.

  • Equity‑for‑design (Design Capital): Zypsy has publicly offered up to $100,000 of brand/product design over 8–10 weeks for 1% equity via SAFE for selected startups. Sources: Introducing Design Capital, TechCrunch coverage. Notes: Two‑to‑four week sprint pricing depends on scope, team composition, and validation needs. We’ll confirm the model during scoping. For investment fit and timing, see Zypsy Capital.

Proof of impact (AI and B2B examples)

  • Captions (AI video). Zypsy rebranded and redesigned as it scaled from a macOS app to a web platform; results include 10M downloads and a 66.75% conversion rate. Source: Captions case study.

  • Robust Intelligence (AI security). Long‑term brand, web, and product partnership through its acquisition by Cisco. Source: Robust Intelligence case study and acquisition noted on Insights.

  • Solo.io (API and AI gateways). Enterprise repositioning, 31+ site pages, CMS migration, and product design system. Source: Solo.io case study.

  • Cortex (developer platform). Enterprise‑ready rebrand and product storytelling; backed by Sequoia and YC. Source: Cortex case study.

Adjacent sprints you can bundle

  • B2B UX Audit (adjacent sprint): Heuristic and evidence‑based evaluation of a complex product, with prioritized fixes for enterprise adoption. See related methods on Capabilities and outcomes in Cortex and Solo.io.

  • AI/ML UX Optimization (adjacent sprint): Clarify mental models, data/feedback transparency, and risk controls in AI products; see Robust Intelligence and Captions.

What we need before kickoff

  • Goals and guardrails: business objectives, target users/segments, non‑goals, and constraints.

  • Evidence access: analytics, prior research, sales/CS insights, support logs.

  • Stakeholders and SMEs: decision‑makers, domain experts, and a test‑user pool.

  • Technical context: platform targets, integrations, and security/compliance needs.

Engagement model, IP, and handoff

  • Sprint‑based collaboration with clear outcomes each phase; we can be hands‑on or hands‑off based on founder needs. Source: Capabilities.

  • Ownership: Customers own deliverables and inventions created for them (with standard exclusions for pre‑existing components and reusable tooling). Source: Terms for Customer.

  • Build options: hand off to your team, or extend into Zypsy Engineering for implementation and QA. Source: Capabilities → Engineering.

Start your 2–4 week sprint