It’s a big day today, for I am about to make a choice. I recently participated in a design sprint, specifically the second day of it. And it’s during this day that you come across probably the most important phases of the design sprint process: Decide and Storyboard. And that got me thinking.

What do you think is the more important stage on the second day of a design sprint, Decide or Storyboard? Well, the votes are in, and….

The Decide phase has my vote.

Let’s Set the Stage

Day 2 consists of two major phases: the Decide Phase and the Storyboard Phase, each holding important significance to the design sprint process. I will be using DesignSprints to explain each of these in-depth, as the site does an excellent job providing both videos and paragraphs explaining each phase.

Let’s start with the big one: the Decide Phase. This phase is the voting system. At this point in the sprint, you have solution sketches that are trying to solve your main goal. Once all are collected, you enter a different series of voting systems to help narrow down the sketches to your final few. This phase determines the final idea.

Then the second phase begins: Storyboarding. Careerfoundary explains that a storyboard is a graphic portrayal of a narrative, concept, or script. Once the sketches from the decide phase are concluded, your group begins to sketch out a main storyboard for what your design will accomplish. For design sprints, this phase is critical to setting up all future prototyping.

The Votes are In to Decide

Now I see the advantage that storyboarding may have. It’s the ultimate creator and serves as the point for which you continue to design. It begins the process of what your final design will be. If not done correctly, then the storyboard will result in problems later done the line. So extra care must be considered.

On the other hand, the voting acts as the foundation. Let me explain. I like to compare real-world voting to design sprints because I believe they fall into similar categories. What to you is more important, the process of picking a president, or the actual candidacy? Because to me, it’s the first. You can have any number of people, but it’s that narrowing down system that truly determines the main outcome.

The Ultimate Importance

While the decision phase is 1-0, I understand those who like the storyboard aspect more, it is what sets up everything after. But I truly cannot see how the top of the tower can shine without its foundation. So to me, the decision phase is more important than the storyboard. When you look back on this day though, just remember the Sprint Handbook explanation of the phrase, because ultimately both impact the larger story:

“As you navigate the complexities of problem-solving and idea generation, these exercises offer the tools to sift through the myriad of possibilities and focus on what truly matters–the blueprint for the upcoming prototype and testing stages.”