Discovery workshops
Development-ready digital product backlog in two weeks through an all-remote process
Define your own MVP backlogAgile discovery phase
Kick-start your software development project in a single discovery sprint
The discovery phase is one of the most important stages in a software development life cycle. We often refer to it as Sprint 0 – an intense week or two focused on planning, defining product strategy, expectations and in-depth analysis of goals ahead. From basic analysis through draft mockups to clear development outline.
With the development team & Client stakeholders at the same table, we get everyone on the same page about the application we’re about to build.
Jessica Johansson
Senior Omställningskonsult
The discovery workshop was really helpful and constituted a good start to the project. In just 3 days, we managed to hold all the discussions necessary for the team to gain an in-depth understanding of what the project is all about and to plan works.
Discovery sprint preparation
Before we dive deeper into project analysis, we gather information necessary to make the most of the workshop meetings.
Market research
We check for current trends in your field and industry.
Technology check
If you came to us hoping to build your solution with a specific technology in mind, we’ll cross-reference your initial brief and suggest possible tech stack configurations.
Team setup
We assign an initial product team to your discovery workshops, usually consisting of a Product Owner, a Tech Lead and a UX Designer.
Gather questions
We note down all the “whys,” “whens” or “hows” we can think of, to make sure we understand the context before we build.
Onsite or remotely
Discovery workshop sessions
In 3–4 workshop sessions, we use various product design techniques to help us define your digital product.
User personas
We describe the users on the receiving end of the software to make sure we design for a seamless user experience.
Process mapping
Step-by-step, we go through each process element we’re about to incorporate into the software, to gain an in-depth understanding.
User journey
Having the process mapped, we define each user’s journey through the system, paying special attention to the goals underlying each action.
User stories & features
We describe in detail the emerging features & prioritize the backlog into must-haves and nice-to-haves for the initial launch.
Development-ready project backlog
After the workshops, our team sits down to structure all of the insights into a detailed development outline.
MVP development backlog
We prioritize all the features and put them in the correct order to implement small stages of the product faster.
Project roadmap
A complex overview of the work’s aims, essential milestones, key deliverables, dependencies, and possible risks. All in the most straightforward document which drives you through the crucial project pieces.
Project milestones
Specific points on the project’s timeline which behave like indicator lights. Their role is to indicate the completion of a task or step, when the next iteration is due, or whether the project is progressing as planned.
Technology recommendations
Our role is to adjust the technology tailored to your project so that the solutions do not age with the development of the application.
First mockups or designs
A mockup that is done well at the initial stage of the project will serve us for a long time, facilitate work according to the schedule, and save a lot of work in critical moments of project development.
Discovery workshop team
Who will you work with during the discovery process?
Discovery workshop team
Who will you work with during the discovery process?
Product Owner
Gathers business contexts and maps processes.
Product Designer
Draws our thoughts and visualizes ideas.
Tech Lead / Solution Architect
Asks the right technical questions and discusses possibilities.
Workshop Lead
Glues it all together!
Meet your own software development team
Let’s talkRemote discovery workshops
We’ve done more than 10 discovery workshops fully online
We’d love to meet for the workshops offline – show you around our hometown or visit your headquarters where your ideas came to life. When it’s not possible to meet in person – here’s what makes the process easy for everyone involved.
Half-day sessions for focus
Rest time between sessions
Recording sessions
Use of collaborative tools
Live commenting
Tools
Figma
Google Meet
Miro
inVision
Google Docs
Notion
The value of discovery workshops
Discovery workshops benefits
Fixed-price discovery workshops service for cost predictability
Workshops are a closed product: they are focused on the development, last for a specific period of time and have a fixed price.
No need to continue development after the workshop
After the workshops, you can simply use the report for further work without the need to hire us as a partner.
Price reductions if we continue to work together
If you decide to hire us as a technology partner, you can get a discount of up to 50% or a full refund of the workshop costs.
Team dedicated to your success, fully focused on the project
Knowing the context behind your solution – the “whys” behind your digital product – is crucial to delivering a tool that meets the goals set.
Read more about our approach to discovery
FAQ
At Inwedo, we always provide you with detailed documentation. After the workshop, we put all the insights together, providing you with a clear development outline (a project backlog) containing the project roadmap, project milestones, MVP development backlog, technology recommendations, and first mockups or designs. All these elements set the direction of the product development that is about to begin.
Product discovery workshops can adopt different forms depending on the project specifics, but generally, they involve a preparation sprint and a few workshop sessions. In our case, the first phase involves market research, a technology check, and a team setup. During the sessions, we explore the goals behind the project and work on the product’s features using different techniques such as user stories, user personas, and user journey.
We conduct discovery workshops:
- both on-site and remotely,
- usually, it takes 3 to 4 sessions to come up with enough insights to
- prepare a complete project backlog.
In <a href=”/blog/post/the-value-of-the-discovery-workshops-part-1/”>this guide</a>, we explained how we conduct the process and which aspects we focus on during the workshop.
The aimed outcome of the discovery sessions is a development-ready project backlog that sets a course for the product development processes.
Any product development project can benefit from a discovery workshop, regardless of its target market, niche and complexity. Discovery is the most effective for the products in the early stage of development, as it helps to refine the idea behind it. However, it can also be used as a problem-solving tool in further stages of development.
Every project is unique, and there is no universal formula for running such a workshop. After discovery sprint preparation, we set up 3–4 workshop sessions to understand your digital product, during which we:
- describe user personas,
- map process elements we’re about to incorporate into the software,
- define each user’s journey, paying attention to the goals behind each action,
- describe features & prioritize the backlog.
After the workshops, we structure the insights into a detailed development outline.
