Beyond The Prototype: A roadmap for navigating the fuzzy area between ideas and outcomes.

“If you want to know where to go after a Design Sprint, Beyond the Prototype shows the way. Douglas’ expert guidance—grounded in his experience as a founder, CTO, startup advisor, and master facilitator—anticipates the challenges teams face when building something new.”
—Jake Knapp, inventor of the Design Sprint and New York Times bestselling author of Sprint

"I work with so many companies excited about their first Design Sprint that then ask: 'Now what?' Douglas' book is the great advice they've been looking for."
—Jeff Patton, Author of User Story Mapping

"Douglas Ferguson has long been a top design sprint facilitator. In Beyond the Prototype, he delivers a practical guide to what comes after. If you've ever experienced the dreaded "post-sprint slump," this is an absolute must read. It will just completely up your game..”
—Greg Satell, Author of Cascades & Mapping Innovation

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR MOVING YOUR INNOVATION PROJECT FORWARD

Have you ever struggled to move a key innovation project forward at work? Based on his experiences running Design Sprints for top companies, Douglas Ferguson wrote Beyond the Prototype to offer practical advice for people shifting from discovery to realization. Full of stories from companies like Google, Liberty Mutual, and Adobe, this guide outlines six steps that every team should take to launch their vision.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

1. Intro & Design Sprint 101: An overview of the process
2. The Post-Sprint Slump: Why teams struggle after a sprint
3. Wrap It Up: Unpack what you learned
4. Share Your Story: Show what you accomplished
5. Chart the Course: Formulate the path forward
6. Expand the Inner Circle: Gather the right perspectives and skills
7. Cultivate the Culture: Inspire the sprint mindset
8. Get Guidance: Know when to reach out to the experts
9. Expert Tips for Planning Superb Sprints: A bonus chapter

Beyond the Prototype will guide you through the road bumps and pitfalls that often follow a Design Sprint or innovation workshop. You’ll know exactly what to do to move your project forward.

VOLTAGE CONTROL

Voltage Control is an innovation workshop agency founded by Douglas Ferguson, an entrepreneur, and technologist with over 20 years of experience. With his unique combination of expertise in technology, product strategy, and design thinking, Douglas offers trusted guidance to companies who want to jumpstart their product or project with an impactful innovation workshop. Based in Austin, Voltage Control designs and leads custom innovation workshops and Design Sprints, as developed by Google Ventures.