A comparative study between design thinking, agile, and design sprint methodologies

Abstract

Choosing a suitable problem-solving methodology is vital for project success. Three popular approaches are design thinking, agile and design sprint. To date, a comparative review of these three approaches is missing. This paper provides a comparative outlook between design thinking, agile, and design sprint through a literature review lens. Critical aspects of differentiation between the three approaches centre on time, team composition, flexibility, main focus, goal setting and challenges, whereas the similarities are around problem-solving collaboration and user-centricity. Design thinking applies human-centred design as a key to addressing problem-solving needs. Agile is known for its iterative and incremental processes and is beneficial when uncertainty prevails. Design sprint focuses on a unique five-day process for designing, prototyping, and testing to bridge the gap between design thinking and agile. This study offers insights that will benefit project managers, designers, engineers, or anyone wanting to choose an appropriate approach for problem identification and resolution.

Agile adoption challenges in insurance: a systematic literature and expert review

“…The team may encounter disputes due to organizational structure and culture, and members prefer to avoid design thinking activities and habits, as well as not adopting the proper mentality toward the procedures [5]. The hierarchical structure and operation of company silos have command and control bias with a focus on compliance and cost reduction.…”