How to Run a 7-Day Redesign Sprint

A 7-day redesign sprint offers a focused, collaborative framework to tackle major website or product design challenges quickly. By compressing research, ideation, prototyping, and user testing into a single week, teams can validate solutions and minimize wasted effort without compromising on quality^1,4.

What is a redesign sprint?

A redesign sprint adapts the standard design sprint process (originating at Google Ventures) to a condensed 7-day format, ideal for website or product revamps. These sprints optimize for rapid problem-solving, with each day assigned a specific focus: understanding problems, brainstorming solutions, making decisions, prototyping, and gathering user feedback^10,13,1.

Preparing for the sprint

Preparation is crucial before the sprint begins. Key prep steps include:

• Define the design challenge. Focus on one pressing, valuable problem (e.g., outdated homepage, low conversions).
• Recruit a cross-functional team. Typical roles: facilitator, UX designer, researcher, product manager, developer⁵.
• Assemble background resources. Gather user research, data, analytics, and current design examples in a shared document or workspace^5,3.
• Communicate expectations. Ensure all participants block their schedules; plan for 4–6 hours of engagement per day, recognizing remote/hybrid needs³.

The 7-day sprint workflow: Step by step

Each day in a redesign sprint builds on the last. Here’s a typical breakdown, with room for minor adjustments based on team needs:

1. Day 1: Map & Understand
   • Define goals, key questions, and the long-term vision
   • Map out the existing user journey and pain points^7,4.
2. Day 2: Research & Explore
   • Synthesize available research
   • Conduct lightning talks with team/experts
3. Day 3: Sketch Solutions
   • Ideate individually; each participant sketches potential solutions^1,4.
4. Day 4: Decide & Storyboard
   • Review and critique sketches
   • Vote on the strongest ideas; create a detailed storyboard.
5. Day 5: Prototype
   • Build a realistic prototype reflecting the storyboard, using tools like Figma^4,5.
6. Day 6: User Test Prep
   • Recruit and schedule target users for testing
   • Refine the test script and prepare feedback channels.
7. Day 7: User Testing & Review
   • Conduct usability tests (ideally with at least five users)
   • Capture feedback to inform next design steps^1,10.

7-Day Redesign Sprint Step List

1. Define goals & map current journey
2. Gather research & run lightning talks
3. Sketch individual solutions
4. Decide on ideas & build storyboard
5. Create prototype
6. Prep for user testing
7. Test with users & synthesize results

Why extend a sprint to 7 days?

While the original design sprint is five days, allocating two extra days increases flexibility for deeper research, prototype development, or more thorough user testing—especially useful for remote teams or complex redesigns¹³. This reduces burnout and improves outcome quality.

Tools and platforms to support your sprint

Digital collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Miro, FigJam) streamline sketching, prototyping, and brainstorming. For teams focused on web redesign, automated platforms like Revamp.dev can dramatically accelerate homepage or UI modernization while maintaining a collaborative workflow.

Key takeaways

• A 7-day sprint compresses redesign cycles into a structured, highly collaborative week.
• Preparation is critical: set goals and expectations, and gather all background assets beforehand.
• Clear roles, swift decision-making, and fast prototyping/testing yield solutions you can validate early—saving cost and rework.