Reduced Validation Cycle from 45 to 5 Days

Challenge

Initially, the ThriveHive Product Team expressed a desire to engage in more testing and research but resisted due to time constraints and a fear of failure. They viewed research as a costly, large-scale initiative requiring outside experts, which diverted team members from their day-to-day tasks and often resulted in more questions than answers.

Solution

We needed a streamlined approach that:

• Encourages quick decision-making and rapid iteration

• Focuses on a single problem or idea at a time

• Surfaces potential issues early

• Involves cross-functional teams from various disciplines

The goal was to reduce risk and cost while fostering innovation thereby enhancing the customer experience and aligning with the organization’s short-term and long-term goals.

In collaboration with the product team, I developed and launched a new rapid prototyping process. This process leveraged UserTesting.com and the methodologies outlined in the book "Sprint" by Jake Knapp, consisting of 6 steps over 5 days.

Implementation

I directed the team responsible for conducting more than 100 annual tests and audits, generating both quantitative data and qualitative insights.

• Reduced the average validation cycle from 45 to 5 days

• Cut the average validation cycle design labor effort from 120 to 15 hours

• Increased the number of validation cycles from 4 to 30 tests over 90 days

The implementation of Design Sprints allowed us to move faster and validate user flows more efficiently, directly impacting the business’s bottom line.

For more details on the process, visit: Process Overview