Which phase of a design sprint involves creating a workable prototype?

The phase of a design sprint that involves creating a workable prototype is the Prototype phase. During this stage, the team takes the ideas and solutions generated in the earlier phases and translates them into a tangible version—a prototype. This prototype should be a representation of the features and functions of the final product, crafted to visualize how the design concepts will work in practice.

The focus here is on developing a quick, cost-effective prototype that can be used to gather feedback. It doesn’t have to be perfect; the goal is to create something that stakeholders can interact with, enabling the team to test assumptions and ideas. By making a prototype, designers can validate their concepts with real users, helping to refine the design before moving on to a more developed product.

In contrast, the other phases revolve around different objectives. The Understand phase focuses on gathering insights and information to inform the solutions. The Decide phase involves selecting the best idea or approach to pursue based on insights gathered. The Test phase is about evaluating the prototype with users to collect feedback and insights for further iterations.