From Silicon Valley to Higher Education: Implementing Design Sprint Methodologies in the Co-Design of Complex Curricula

Abstract

Higher education institutions often struggle to translate ideas into meaningful change, with committees often caught in cycles of debate that stall curricular innovation. This experience report examines how design sprints (a structured methodology developed in the technology industry) can function as a change mechanism for designing complex curricula in higher education contexts. Drawing on our experiences as institutional leaders and designers at two universities, we present two case studies: a five-day design sprint used to redesign a second-level writing curriculum in response to the emergence of AI, and an adapted, institutionally embedded sprint program supporting broader curricular and pedagogical change. We reflect on what made these sprints effective, where the original industry model required adaptation for academic contexts, and the tensions between higher education's expertise-driven culture and the participatory, iterative logic of design. We close with practical recommendations for institutions considering design sprints as a tool for sustainable, participatory change.