Tuesday: Sketch Solutions skill

Tuesday: Sketch Solutions

Tuesday is about generating solutions, not discussing them. The day shifts from group understanding (Monday) to individual creation. By the end of Tuesday, every team member will have produced a detailed, self-explanatory solution sketch. The critical rule: work alone, think deeply, and let the ideas compete on Wednesday.

Schedule Overview

Time	Exercise	Duration
10:00 - 10:15	Recap Monday target	15 min
10:15 - 11:30	Lightning Demos	75 min
11:30 - 12:00	Divide or Swarm decision	30 min
12:00 - 1:00	Lunch	60 min
1:00 - 1:20	Notes (Step 1)	20 min
1:20 - 1:40	Ideas (Step 2)	20 min
1:40 - 1:50	Crazy 8s (Step 3)	10 min
1:50 - 3:20	Solution Sketch (Step 4)	90 min
3:20 - 3:30	Collect and seal sketches	10 min

Lightning Demos

Purpose

Borrow ideas from existing products, competitors, and unrelated industries. Lightning Demos fill the creative tank before sketching begins.

Preparation (Before Tuesday)

At the end of Monday, ask each team member to:

• Find 2-3 products or features that solve a similar problem (even from different industries)
• Bookmark them or take screenshots
• Prepare a 3-minute walkthrough

How to Run Lightning Demos

1. Each person gets 3 minutes to demo what they found
2. Show the product on screen or walk through screenshots
3. Explain: "Here is what they do, and here is what I think is interesting about it"
4. The Sprint Master captures the big idea on the whiteboard with a quick sketch and label
5. No debate or critique during demos. Just capture

What to Look For

Source	What to Capture
Direct competitors	Features they got right, messaging that resonates
Adjacent industries	Interaction patterns that solve a similar problem differently
Non-tech examples	Retail, hospitality, or service experiences that feel effortless
Internal products	Other features in your own product that work well
Academic/research	Frameworks or data that could inspire a novel approach

Example Lightning Demos

Sprint target: Improve onboarding for a project management tool.

• Demo 1 (Trello): "They show a sample board pre-filled with tasks so you immediately see how it works. The big idea: show, don't tell."
• Demo 2 (Duolingo): "They get you doing a lesson within 30 seconds, before even creating an account. The big idea: delay signup, lead with value."
• Demo 3 (IKEA store layout): "They force a path through the showroom so you see everything in context. The big idea: guided tour instead of open exploration."

Capture Format

On the whiteboard, create a grid:

[Quick sketch]     [Quick sketch]     [Quick sketch]
"Show, don't       "Delay signup,     "Guided tour
 tell" - Trello     lead with value"   path" - IKEA
                    - Duolingo

Each entry has a simple sketch and a 3-5 word label. By the end of Lightning Demos, you should have 10-20 captured ideas on the whiteboard.

Divide or Swarm

When to Divide

If the target area on Monday's map has clearly separable components, assign different people to different sections.

Example: If the target is "signup through first project," one group could tackle signup, another could tackle the first project experience.

When to Swarm

If the target is a single, focused problem, everyone works on the same challenge independently.

Most sprints use Swarm. When in doubt, swarm. Having 5-7 different approaches to the same problem produces richer options.

The Four-Step Sketch

This is the core of Tuesday. Four progressively focused exercises move each person from reviewing existing ideas to creating a detailed solution. All four steps are done individually and in silence.

Step 1: Notes (20 minutes)

What to do:

1. Walk around the room silently
2. Review the whiteboard: long-term goal, sprint questions, customer journey map, HMW clusters, Lightning Demo captures
3. Take notes on paper about anything that catches your attention
4. Copy interesting ideas, jot down thoughts, highlight constraints

Tips:

• Use pen and paper, not a laptop
• Do not organize your notes; just capture raw material
• Pay special attention to the target area on the map
• Review the sprint questions: your sketch should try to answer at least one

Step 2: Ideas (20 minutes)

What to do:

1. Start doodling rough ideas on paper
2. Stick figures, flow diagrams, wireframes, word clouds: anything goes
3. Generate as many ideas as possible
4. Do not self-edit: ugly and half-baked is fine
5. Explore different directions, not just one

Tips:

• Set a personal goal of at least 8 distinct ideas
• Mix practical ideas with wild ones
• Think about the problem from the customer's perspective
• Consider ideas from Lightning Demos: how might you adapt them?

Step 3: Crazy 8s (8 minutes)

What to do:

1. Take a blank sheet of paper
2. Fold it in half three times to create 8 panels
3. Set a timer for 8 minutes
4. In each panel, sketch one variation of your best idea (1 minute per panel)
5. When the timer rings, stop immediately

Detailed Instructions:

Panel	Time	Focus
1	0:00 - 1:00	Your best idea, simplest version
2	1:00 - 2:00	Same idea, different layout or flow
3	2:00 - 3:00	What if the user starts at a different point?
4	3:00 - 4:00	What if there were fewer steps?
5	4:00 - 5:00	What if it were more visual, less text?
6	5:00 - 6:00	What would the competitor version look like?
7	6:00 - 7:00	What is the most radical version?
8	7:00 - 8:00	Combine the best elements from panels 1-7

Why Crazy 8s Matter:

• Forces you past your first idea (which is rarely the best)
• Creates variations that lead to unexpected combinations
• The time pressure shuts down perfectionism
• Panel 8 often produces the breakthrough

Common Crazy 8s Mistakes:

• Drawing the same idea 8 times with trivial changes (push for real variation)
• Spending 4 minutes on panel 1 and rushing the rest (use a timer that beeps every minute)
• Giving up because you "can't draw" (stick figures and words are enough)

Step 4: Solution Sketch (60-90 minutes)

What to do:

1. Take 3 sheets of blank paper (or a large sheet divided into 3 panels)
2. Create a 3-panel storyboard showing a customer's experience with your solution
3. Panel 1: What triggers the customer to encounter your solution?
4. Panel 2: How does the customer interact with the core of your solution?
5. Panel 3: What is the result? What does success look like?

Solution Sketch Requirements:

• Self-explanatory: someone who was not in the room should understand it
• Has a catchy title at the top
• Anonymous: no name on the sketch
• Detailed enough to build: include button labels, headlines, key copy
• Shows the flow: arrows or numbered steps indicating sequence
• Fits the target from Monday

3-Panel Storyboard Structure

Panel 1: Entry Point

What the customer sees first. Could be:

• A search result
• An email
• A notification
• A landing page
• A colleague's recommendation

Draw the screen, message, or moment. Include real text, not "lorem ipsum."

Panel 2: Core Interaction

The heart of your solution. Show:

• What the interface looks like
• What the customer does (clicks, types, drags)
• What information they see
• How they progress through the experience

This panel often needs the most detail. Use annotations and callouts.

Panel 3: Outcome

The result of using your solution:

• What does the customer see when they succeed?
• How do they feel? What confirmation do they get?
• What happens next?

Example Solution Sketch: Onboarding for a Project Management Tool

• Panel 1 "Welcome Screen": Greeting by name, question about use case (Marketing / Engineering / Design), "Get started" button. Sets context.
• Panel 2 "Guided Setup": Name your first project field, invite team members field, note that starter tasks are auto-generated based on use case selection. Shows the core interaction.
• Panel 3 "Your First Win": Project board with pre-filled tasks, one already marked done, confetti animation, "Share with your team" call to action. Shows the successful outcome.

Tips for Non-Designers

You Do Not Need to Draw Well

Solution sketches are about ideas, not artistry. Use:

• Rectangles for screens and containers
• Lines for text (squiggly lines = body text)
• Circles and arrows for buttons and navigation
• Stick figures for people
• Words for headlines, labels, and key copy

Focus on These Elements

1. Headlines: What does the customer read first?
2. Key actions: What button do they click? What do they type?
3. Information hierarchy: What is biggest/most prominent?
4. Flow: Where does the customer go from each step?
5. Copy: Write real words, not placeholder text

If You Are Stuck

• Return to the Lightning Demo wall and adapt an idea
• Solve for one specific sprint question
• Draw your favorite competitor's approach, then change three things
• Think about the worst possible version, then invert it
• Start from the outcome (Panel 3) and work backwards

Collecting Sketches

At the end of Tuesday:

1. Everyone places their solution sketch face-down on the table
2. The Sprint Master collects them without looking
3. Sketches stay sealed until Wednesday morning
4. No peeking, no sharing, no discussing solutions over dinner

This builds suspense and prevents bias. On Wednesday, every sketch gets a fair hearing.

Tuesday Checklist

• Lightning Demos completed (10-20 ideas captured on whiteboard)
• Divide or Swarm decision made
• All four sketch steps completed by every team member
• Each person produced a 3-panel solution sketch
• Sketches are self-explanatory, titled, and anonymous
• Sketches collected and sealed
• No one has discussed or revealed their solution

Common Tuesday Mistakes

Lightning Demos Go Too Long

Problem: Each demo takes 10 minutes instead of 3, eating into sketch time. Fix: Use a visible timer. At 3 minutes, the Sprint Master says "Thank you, next." Capture the big idea and move on.

Group Discussion During Sketch Time

Problem: People start comparing ideas or asking for feedback. Fix: The afternoon sketch phase is silent. If someone asks a question, the Sprint Master says "Write it into your sketch."

Crazy 8s Feels Pointless

Problem: People draw one idea 8 times or give up after 4 panels. Fix: Before starting, show examples of good Crazy 8s. Emphasize that panels 5-8 often produce the best ideas because the obvious ones are exhausted.

Solution Sketches Are Too Vague

Problem: Sketches show boxes labeled "content goes here" with no detail. Fix: Remind the team: "Someone who was not in our sprint should be able to understand your sketch. Write real headlines, real button labels, real content."

Only Designers Produce Sketches

Problem: Engineers and marketers opt out because they "cannot draw." Fix: Share the non-designer tips above. Show examples of successful text-heavy, low-art sketches. The best sprint solutions often come from non-designers.

Perfectionism Kills the Solution Sketch

Problem: Someone spends 90 minutes on a single beautiful panel. Fix: Remind them: three panels, not one. The storyboard format forces breadth. Ugly but complete beats beautiful but incomplete.