Wednesday: Decide on the Best Solution skill

Wednesday: Decide on the Best Solution

Wednesday transforms a gallery of individual sketches into a single plan the team will prototype and test. The day uses structured critique and voting to avoid design-by-committee and the loudest-voice-wins trap. The Decider makes the final call, the team builds a storyboard, and everyone leaves with a clear blueprint for Thursday's prototype.

Schedule Overview

Time	Exercise	Duration
10:00 - 10:15	Setup: Art Museum	15 min
10:15 - 10:45	Silent review and heat map	30 min
10:45 - 12:00	Speed critique (all sketches)	75 min
12:00 - 12:15	Straw poll	15 min
12:15 - 12:30	Supervote	15 min
12:30 - 1:30	Lunch	60 min
1:30 - 2:00	Rumble vs All-in-One decision	30 min
2:00 - 4:30	Storyboard creation	150 min
4:30 - 5:00	Storyboard review and confirmation	30 min

Art Museum Exercise

Setup (Before the Team Arrives)

1. Tape each solution sketch to the wall at eye level, spaced evenly
2. Number each sketch (Sketch 1, Sketch 2, etc.) with a sticky note in the corner
3. Leave space between sketches for dot stickers
4. Place a stack of small dot stickers at each team member's seat

How to Run the Art Museum

1. Everyone stands and walks along the wall, reviewing each sketch silently
2. No talking during this phase
3. Read each sketch carefully: title, panels, annotations
4. Place small dot stickers on any part of any sketch that catches your eye
5. You can use as many dots as you want
6. A dot means "this is interesting" (not "I vote for this")
7. Time: 20-30 minutes of silent review

Facilitator Tips

• Play background music to reinforce the "no talking" rule
• If someone starts whispering, gently redirect: "Save it for the critique"
• Walk the room yourself to model the behavior
• Observe where clusters of dots form: these will drive the critique

Heat Map Review

After silent voting, the wall should show clear heat maps: some sketches or sections will be covered in dots, others will have few.

Reading the Heat Map

Pattern	What It Means
Dense cluster on one panel	Strong consensus on a specific idea
Dots spread evenly across a sketch	Generally interesting but no standout element
One sketch with very few dots	The idea did not resonate (or was hard to understand)
Same concept dotted across multiple sketches	A shared insight that multiple people reached independently

Speed Critique

Purpose

Give every sketch a fair, structured hearing without turning into an open debate. The Sprint Master controls the format strictly.

Process for Each Sketch (3 minutes per sketch)

Step	Who	What	Time
1. Narrate	Sprint Master	Walk through the sketch panel by panel: "Here the customer sees X, then they click Y, and this leads to Z"	60 sec
2. Call out	Team	Team members call out standout ideas. Sprint Master captures them on sticky notes above the sketch	60 sec
3. Concerns	Team	Quick objections or questions (not debate). Sprint Master notes them	30 sec
4. Creator speaks	Sketcher	The sketcher reveals themselves and clarifies anything missed (only if needed)	30 sec

Sprint Master Script for Narration

Use this pattern for each panel:

"In this sketch, titled [title], the customer starts by [describe Panel 1]. Then they [describe Panel 2]. And the result is [describe Panel 3]. I notice dots clustered around [specific element]."

Rules During Speed Critique

• The sketcher stays silent until Step 4
• No one says "I don't like this" without a specific reason
• The Sprint Master controls who speaks and when
• Capture ideas on sticky notes with one idea per note
• Stick to 3 minutes per sketch; use a timer

Straw Poll

Purpose

A non-binding vote to reveal team preferences before the Decider makes the final call.

How to Run the Straw Poll

1. Give each team member one large dot sticker (different color from the small dots)
2. Each person places their large dot on the sketch they think should be prototyped
3. Voting is simultaneous: count "3, 2, 1, vote" and everyone places their dot at once
4. After voting, go around the room. Each person explains their vote in one sentence
5. Record the vote tally on the whiteboard

Why One Sentence Matters

The one-sentence explanation often reveals important reasoning:

• "I picked Sketch 3 because it directly addresses our sprint question about trust"
• "I picked Sketch 5 because it is the simplest to prototype in one day"
• "I picked Sketch 1 because it solves the problem for both new and returning users"

These explanations help the Decider make an informed final decision.

Supervote: The Decider's Final Call

How It Works

1. The Decider receives three large dot stickers in a distinctive color (usually stars or a different color)
2. The Decider places their three dots on the sketch or sketches they want to prototype
3. The Decider can put all three on one sketch or spread them across multiple
4. The Decider's vote is final. No discussion, no override

Why the Decider Has This Power

• Someone has to make the call, or the team compromises into mediocrity
• The Decider lives with the consequences, so they should choose
• It prevents endless negotiation
• It mirrors real organizational decision-making

What If the Team Disagrees?

The Decider's choice stands. The sprint process trusts that testing on Friday will reveal whether the decision was right. If the Decider is wrong, the team will know by Friday afternoon, and only one week was invested.

Rumble vs All-in-One

After the Supervote, the Sprint Master checks whether one or multiple sketches were selected.

All-in-One (Most Common)

Use when the Decider's supervotes landed on one sketch or on compatible elements from multiple sketches.

Process:

1. The winning sketch becomes the foundation
2. Pull in specific elements from other sketches that got dots or team support
3. Combine into a single concept

Rumble (Less Common)

Use when the Decider's supervotes landed on two clearly different and incompatible approaches.

Process:

1. Prototype both approaches (usually as branded competitors: "Concept A" and "Concept B")
2. Test both with users on Friday
3. Each approach gets its own storyboard panel sequence

Decision Criteria

Factor	All-in-One	Rumble
Decider selected one clear winner	Yes	No
Two strong but incompatible approaches	No	Yes
Limited prototyping resources	Yes	No
Team wants to resolve a strategic debate	No	Yes
You want more definitive Friday results	No	Yes

Storyboard Creation

Purpose

Translate the winning sketch into a step-by-step prototype blueprint. The storyboard tells Thursday's prototyping team exactly what to build, screen by screen.

Setup

1. Draw a grid on the whiteboard: 10-15 empty rectangles arranged in rows
2. Each rectangle represents one frame (screen, interaction, or moment)
3. Number the frames 1 through 15

Step-by-Step Process

Step	Duration	What Happens
1. Opening scene	15 min	How does the customer first encounter the solution? (ad, email, search result, referral)
2. Entry	15 min	What is the first screen or interaction? (landing page, app home, signup)
3. Core flow	60 min	Walk through each step of the solution. One frame per screen or major interaction
4. Success moment	15 min	What does the customer see when they have succeeded?
5. Review	30 min	Walk through the entire storyboard. Does it make sense? Are there gaps?

Storyboard Best Practices

Include:

• Real headlines and copy (not "text goes here")
• Button labels
• Key images or illustrations (described, even if rough)
• Navigation elements
• Error states or edge cases (if they are part of the test)

Exclude:

• Backend logic
• Features that will not be tested
• Multiple branching paths (pick one primary path)
• Detailed visual design (color, typography)

Example Storyboard: Online Grocery Delivery

Frame 1:  Customer searches "grocery delivery [city]"
Frame 2:  Google result: "Fresh groceries in 2 hours - [Brand]"
Frame 3:  Landing page with value proposition and "Shop Now" button
Frame 4:  Category browse: Produce, Dairy, Meat, Bakery
Frame 5:  Product page: Organic Avocados, $4.99, "Add to Cart"
Frame 6:  Cart summary with items, quantities, and total
Frame 7:  Delivery time selection: "Today 2-4pm" or "Tomorrow 8-10am"
Frame 8:  Checkout: address, payment (pre-filled if possible)
Frame 9:  Order confirmation with estimated delivery time
Frame 10: SMS notification: "Your order is on its way"
Frame 11: Delivery photo: "Your groceries are at your door"
Frame 12: Follow-up: "How was your delivery? [Rate 1-5]"

Common Storyboard Debates (and How to Resolve Them)

Debate	Resolution
"Should we include signup?"	Only if signup is part of the test. If the sprint question is about the core experience, start after signup
"How detailed should the copy be?"	Detailed enough for the Writer on Thursday to know the intent. Not final copy
"What if the user goes off the path?"	Prototype the happy path. Note edge cases as sticky notes but do not storyboard them
"This needs 20 frames"	Reduce. If it takes more than 15, you are including too much. Focus on the core flow

Wednesday Checklist

• All sketches reviewed in Art Museum with heat map dots
• Speed critique completed for every sketch
• Straw poll conducted
• Decider has placed supervotes
• Rumble vs All-in-One decision made
• Storyboard drawn on whiteboard (10-15 frames)
• Storyboard includes real copy, not placeholders
• Everyone on the team understands and agrees with the storyboard
• Storyboard is photographed for Thursday reference

Common Wednesday Mistakes

Groupthink During the Art Museum

Problem: Team members watch where others place dots and follow the crowd. Fix: Spread the sketches far apart so it is harder to see others. Remind the team that dots mean "interesting," not "I vote for this."

Speed Critique Turns Into Debate

Problem: One person argues for 10 minutes about why their approach is better. Fix: The Sprint Master enforces the 3-minute timer per sketch. No rebuttals. Save opinions for the straw poll.

Decider Defers or Compromises

Problem: The Decider says "Let's just combine everything into one" to avoid conflict. Fix: Remind the Decider that Friday's test will validate the choice. Making a clear decision now is better than a watered-down compromise. A strong prototype of one idea beats a weak prototype that tries to do everything.

Storyboard Is Too Vague

Problem: Frames show "main screen" and "results page" without specifics. Fix: For each frame, ask: "If I handed this to a designer who was not in the room, could they build this screen?" If no, add more detail.

Storyboard Takes Too Long

Problem: The team spends 4 hours on the storyboard and still is not done. Fix: Time-box each section. The Sprint Master makes calls on unresolved details: "We are going with Option A. If it does not work on Friday, we will know." Move on.

Ignoring the Sprint Questions

Problem: The storyboard drifts away from the sprint questions chosen on Monday. Fix: Write the sprint questions above the storyboard. After each frame, ask: "Does this help answer our sprint question?" If a frame does not contribute to the test, cut it.