As I stood before the room presenting our website redesign to our Fortune 100 client, my entire team’s future hung in the balance.
It was a make-or-break moment that I knew could catapult us to unprecedented success if we accepted the challenge.
If we didn’t, we would forever be branded by the client as inept. Let me take you back to that critical juncture in my career.
“‘If they don’t even know how to approach this content strategy, what makes you think that we — the UX team — know how to do it?’ my boss asked me.
The client had asked us — the UX team — to deliver on a complete re-imagined content strategy. Despite it being outside our usual scope we reminded her there were entire content strategy teams at the agency, yet she believed we were the ones for the job, tying it directly to the success of our website redesign.
In other words, she would regard this as failing to deliver the website re-design if we didn’t accept the challenge. Because the reimagined content strategy would drive the design and architecture of the website.
What she was asking was a radical shift in the company’s approach to this particular content strategy, and my agency team fell silent when confronted with the challenge. I had done it before with UX teams and knew I could do it again with the help of the Design Sprint process.
Amid the silence, I spoke up with unwavering confidence —
“We can do it”. I didn’t just believe it: I felt it in my bones. We had the knowledge, the proximity, and the momentum.
The big task
After the mid-afternoon meeting my boss and I ushered ourselves to the nearly empty cafeteria. He was convinced we could not pull off. But I had led sprints through worse ambiguity and seen how structured creativity could dismantle even the most complex problems.I told him to give me a week with the UX team. I knew that if we could just get into the room together, we’d unlock insights that would reshape the entire approach.
“Even a week is too long because already told the client we could it. She’s expecting some form of a deliverable or an update in a week. I’d rather just tell her now and field the collateral damage”, he responded. “And if I tell her now, we possibly can keep this quiet back at the agency and I won’t have to reprimand you”.
Suddenly another member of the client’s team- who was also in the same meeting- came over to share the big news.
“Good news travels fast” he said while grinning ear-to-ear.
The top-echelon of the executive leadership team had already learned of the content strategy request and they were thrilled that we were going to be the ones to deliver it.
The reason we were chosen was simple: we were an “embedded” team, constantly on-site with the client, and that proximity had given us an unmatched understanding of their business. We could see the bigger picture, guiding the client through the intricacies they were too close to notice. Our reputation within the client’s company spoke volumes.
After he left with the good news, I turned to my boss and said, we can do it. We just need to get the right people in the room and execute the right solution recipe.
The Design Sprint, a 5-step solution process, involves assembling the right people to address a problem, devise a solution, and test it with real users. It ensures that everyone has a voice, with time for individual ideation, group sharing, discussion, and voting. This fosters collaboration and ensures that the best ideas rise to the top.
Traditional meetings often favor the loudest voices, leaving many unheard and unresolved issues. The Design Sprint process promotes trust and vulnerability, fostering a culture where everyone can contribute.
Plus, I added, the best part is that we had a brand-new core agency team member. Ideating on a big project and executing a Sprint together is the collaboration opportunity we need.
Finally, my boss relented.
Assembling the team
I assembled our core agency team of 4, invited cross-functional agency team members and several client-side team members. We locked ourselves in a room for a few days and we harnessed our collective energy during the freshest hours of the day to brainstorm, conceptualize, and solution.
In short, we knocked it out of the park. We not only revamped their content strategy but also boosted customer retention more than the client’s initial request. The client was ecstatic and so were we.
We had not only transformed the content strategy but also our own team dynamics- both with our internal agency team and our external client team. We learned to trust each other better, and our alignment was unparalleled. The client who initially made the request, a formidable presence, who was difficult to please, recognized our dedication. Through systematic, creative collaboration, we won over the toughest client, focusing on the pursuit of the Big Idea.
Our agency team now had a solid foundation, marked by increased vulnerability and trust. Equally important, we forged strong relationships with our client-side counterparts. They continued to rely on us to tackle their toughest challenges, and together, we drove change and left a lasting impact.
The opportunity to drive change is something every organization desires, and the Design Sprint provided us with the toolkit to transition from chaos to collaboration.
Hi! I'm Linda Ward. I’ve helped Fortune 100 teams, scrappy startups, and solo creatives find clarity and momentum in their careers. I write about the messy, meaningful moments in our careers, from portfolio pitfalls to hard-won workplace wisdom. If you're navigating a creative career, you're not alone and chances are I've been in those same pitfalls. Follow for candid advice, reality level-setting and the occasional nudge to bet on yourself.