DESIGN SPRINT IS A QUICK AND INTERACTIVE DESIGN METHOD DEVELOPED BY NORDIC WORKS*.
The multivoiced and interactive Design Sprint is a strategic tool for urban development that can be used in the early stages of planning. The process is a unique combination of teamwork, architectural planning and service design.

What is Design Sprint and what kinds of results does it produce?
Design Sprint is an award-winning workshop method developed by Nordic Works* that combines a multivoiced and interactive process with agile architectural planning. Design Sprint consists of a meeting with the stakeholders, commitment, cooperative ideation, expert planning work and the presentation of the results in an impressive visual form.
With Design Sprint, you can test new ideas, activate public discussion and learn about the reactions of city residents, investors, landowners, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders while arousing their interest in prospective future projects. The method is an effective tool for urban development if you wish to explore potential development ideas and future scenarios in the area before commencing the planning of the project. In later stages of planning, you can explore different directions to proceed in and involve stakeholders effectively in the next Design Sprint.

Why the multivoiced and interactive planning process?
The multivoiced planning process allows us to explore comparative solutions in an open discussion where all stakeholders get their voices heard. City planning and construction planning often include conflicting goals. The more people the plan concerns, the more conflicts and disagreements are likely to occur.
With the help of the interactive Design Sprint, the potential conflicts but also synergies between different participants arise already in an early stage. This way we can react to them strategically – before the actual planning has even started.

Why do we make quick idea drafts instead of slowly incubating the ideas?
It is typical for expert-driven planning that drafts are put on display only after the goals and major decisions have already been made. In this traditional model, public critique can shake the foundations of the project. In Design Sprint, preliminary ideas are put on display quickly in a very early stage. This gives the surrounding society the opportunity to react to the change – both constructively and positively.
Nordic Works’ bold ideas and concrete solutions serve as conversation starters. That is why we produce large amounts of quick illustrations during Design Sprints. Illustrations and communication have a central role in transparent and interactive planning.

How does a typical Design Sprint proceed?
Design Sprint consists of different stages, some of which are strongly interactive and some expert-driven. The process lasts from a few days to several weeks.
Design Sprint begins with a stakeholder analysis. The chosen stakeholders are invited to an interactive Kick Off workshop where the goals for the project are set and ideation is started.
After the Kick Off workshop, the architects from Nordic Works* continue to work on the plan and produce illustrative visual material to support the discussion.
In Design Sprints lasting over a week, the stakeholders and other experts can steer the architects’ work in separately scheduled Check Point workshops.
At the end of the Design Sprint, all the participants of the process gather in a discussion meeting and assess the proposed solutions together.

What happens after the Design Sprint?
After the Design Sprint, we analyse and summarise the results. Together with you or other stakeholders involved in the project, our team plans the next steps to accelerate the project. Our teams are at your disposal for more detailed architectural planning of the project.
In a later stage of the project, you can easily order a second Design Sprint to elaborate on the themes of the project and commit participants to collaboration. Together with you or other stakeholders involved in the project, our team plans the next steps to accelerate and concretise the project. We deepen the interactive planning process together with the concerned participants in order to recognise possible obstacles and confusions and to remove them before construction begins.