The overview
University College London (UCL) is a public research university in London and the second-largest university in the UK. The senior management team wanted to explore new revenue channels to further develop UCL’s international studies department.
Alt Labs led key members of UCL in a Design Sprint workshop to identify new revenue channels. The solutions were compiled into a report, which pinpointed fresh vertical markets for revenue. The work also led to the implementation of a new e-commerce learning channel.
The challenge
Alt Labs was appointed to identify new revenue channels to further develop UCL’s international studies department in the South Asia region. The purpose of the new revenue was to ultimately provide courses and materials for businesses to enchase their cultural learning, particuarly those that are looking to expand or trade in the international market.
The process
The Alt Labs team led leading academics and members of management at UCL in a ‘Design Sprint Workshop’.
A design sprint is a time-constrained, structured process used by teams to solve complex problems, prototype new ideas, or validate concepts through a series of collaborative exercises. The workshop was developed by Google Ventures (GV) and is heavily influenced by design thinking, lean start-up, and agile methodologies. A typical design sprint lasts for five days, but the process can be adapted to shorter or longer timeframes depending on the project’s needs.
The five-day design sprint is broken down into the following phases:
Day 1 – Understand: The team maps out the problem, aligns on a common goal, and identifies the target audience. They gather insights, define the challenge, and agree on the scope of the sprint.
Day 2 – Sketch: Participants individually brainstorm and sketch out possible solutions to the problem. The focus is on generating a wide variety of ideas without any judgment or discussion.
Day 3 – Decide: The team reviews, discusses, and evaluates the proposed solutions. They then vote and decide on the most promising idea or set of ideas to move forward with.
Day 4 – Prototype: The chosen solution(s) are transformed into a tangible, testable prototype. This can be a low-fidelity version of the product, service, or feature, such as a paper prototype, wireframe, or mock-up.
Day 5 – Test: The prototype is tested with real users or stakeholders to gather feedback and validate the proposed solution. The team then analyses the results and uses the insights to make informed decisions about the next steps.
The results
The Design Sprint workshop results in a prioritised solution, a testable prototype, user feedback, and a clear action plan for next steps in the project. These outputs helped the team at UCL to quickly validate ideas, reduce risks, and make informed decisions about product development, ultimately increasing the chances of successful outcomes.