Design sprint vs
behaviour sprint

How to pick the right five-day sprint for results that hold up on Monday

You might’ve been part of a Design Sprint before. Or maybe you’ve sat through a Sprint playback and found yourself thinking, “Cool. Now what?”

Design Sprints have earned their place. They’re quick, structured, and help teams make decisions fast. You get a prototype. You test an idea. You dodge months of circular meetings.

But then Monday rolls around.

The prototype’s interesting. People nod. Then everyone gets back to their day job… and the old way quietly wins.

Not because the idea was wrong. Not because the team didn’t care. Simply because behaviour follows the path of least resistance. And most orgs are still designed around the old way of doing things.

That’s exactly where Behaviour Sprints come in.

What is a Design Sprint?

A Design Sprint is a five-day process to turn a fuzzy problem into a clear, testable idea.

By the end of the week, you’ve got a prototype that people can react to, plus feedback on what works, what’s confusing, and what’s promising.

It’s for that messy early stage when you're not sure what to build yet.

What is a Behaviour Sprint?

A Behaviour Sprint is also five days, but this one’s all about helping a single, high-value action actually happen in the real world.

You’ve got the concept. You know the value. But the behaviour keeps slipping through the cracks? That’s the moment for a Behaviour Sprint.

By the end of the week, you’ve nailed:

• One clear action

• The step where it fails

• A tested fix

• And a plan that holds on Monday (not just in the workshop)

So what’s the big difference?

A Design Sprint helps you figure out what to build.
A Behaviour Sprint helps you make sure people actually do the thing you built.
Both are useful, they just answer different questions.

What questions do they each help answer?

Design Sprint is for:

• “What should we build?”

• “Does this make sense to users?”

• “What’s the smallest useful version?”

• “What do we need to learn before we build more?”

Behaviour Sprint is for:

• “Why aren’t people doing this?”

• “What’s the action that needs to change?”

• “Where’s the moment it slips?”

• “What makes the current (less helpful) behaviour the default?”

• “What would make the right thing easier when everyone’s busy?”

What gets prototyped in a sprint?

In a Design Sprint:

You prototype the thing. The product, the flow, the experience. The idea in a form people can react to.

You’re testing for understanding, usefulness, and appeal.

In a Behaviour Sprint:

You prototype what sits around the action, the stuff that nudges someone to do the right thing (without needing a motivational speech).

It could be:

• A prompt inside a tool

• A faster handover step

• A default option that’s easier to follow

• A two-step rule that fits how work actually happens

You test it in context. You’re watching what people do, not just what they say.

Why a Design Sprint might still leave a Monday gap

Here’s the honest truth:

A prototype that makes sense won’t automatically be used.

Because the minute the week kicks off, real-life friction returns:

• The old way feels quicker

• People don’t know who owns what

• Prompts are missing

• The new way feels optional

That doesn’t mean the Design Sprint failed. It just means a new kind of work is needed.

You’re no longer asking “do they like it?”
Now you’re asking “will they do it when their calendar’s full?"

So what does “run-ability” actually mean?

It means your change doesn’t fall apart on Monday.

Just a lightweight setup that:

• Has a clear owner

• Fits into existing routines

• Comes with “when X, do Y” instructions

• Includes a few signals to monitor

• Has a plan to catch slippage early

When does a Behaviour Sprint make sense?

You’re a great candidate if any of these feel familiar:

• AI tools are available… but barely used.

• A new process launched… but people slip back.

• Handoffs are flaky… and work keeps bouncing back.

• Decisions stall… and the same meeting happens three times.

• Feedback happens… but avoids the part that matters.

• Customers start something… and quietly drop off.

That’s the pattern. The work is there. The value is there. But one step keeps breaking.

The Behaviour Sprint goes straight at that step.

What happens in a Behaviour Sprint week?

We do a bit of light prep to hit the ground running. That usually includes:

• Reviewing what’s already known

• A few short chats or workflow walkthroughs

• Collecting real examples

• Getting testers lined up early

Then the week unfolds like this:

Day 1: Define

Define the behaviour in plain English.
Map the workflow.
Pick the step where things slip.
Set clear success criteria.

Day 2: Diganose

Dig into why the current behaviour is the default.
Especially when time’s tight.

Day 3: Diagnose

Build small, real fixes.
No blue-sky redesigns, just things people can actually run.

Day 4: Test

Test those fixes in context.
Watch what people do.
See where cues are missed.
Decide what’s working.

Day 5: Lock

Lock it in.
Turn it into a run plan for next week:

• Who owns it

• What to do

• How to spot if it starts drifting

By Friday, you’ve got something people can actually run.

Which Sprint do I need?

Pick a Design Sprint if:

• You need clarity.

• You’re still figuring out what to build.

• You want a prototype to test a direction.

Pick a Behaviour Sprint if:

• The idea already exists.

• People aren’t following through.

• You need real-world uptake, not just good intentions.

Do both if:

• You’re launching something new and want it to land and stick.

Not sure which Sprint to run?

Tell us what you’re working on.

We’ll help you spot the highest-leverage step, pick the right Sprint, and figure out what success looks like by on Monday.