Introduction
The relationship between Scrum and innovation has been a subject of considerable reflection within agile practice. Scrum, at its core, is a lightweight framework designed to address complex problems through empirical process control. The Double Diamond (developed by the UK Design Council) complements this approach by providing a structured model for creative problem-solving. While these frameworks originate in different traditions such as Scrum in software and product development and the Double Diamond in design thinking, they share critical principles that support innovation: iterative learning, stakeholder collaboration, and incremental delivery.
Scrum and the Conditions for Innovation
Innovation is often the result of managed uncertainty, where iterative experimentation leads to valuable discoveries. Scrum creates a fertile environment for this by embracing empiricism. Transparency, inspection, and adaptation are its guiding pillars. Every Sprint represents a bounded opportunity to explore customer needs and technological possibilities, culminating in a potentially releasable increment. This iterative rhythm, supported by regular events and continuous learning, enables organisations to adapt their direction with minimal cost of change. This approach is particularly effective when the problem space is uncertain, either because the customer’s needs are not yet fully understood or because the solution itself is complex and exploratory. Yuval Yeret reinforces this in something he wrote a while ago, noting that Scrum allows leaders to “generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems whenever there is uncertainty” (https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-guide-leaders-perspective).
Beyond its mechanics, Scrum also fosters a psychological climate conducive to innovation. The five values of focus, openness, courage, commitment and respect are not peripheral - far from it. They shape the behaviours and mindset required for collaborative innovation. Scrum Teams that embody these values are better positioned to reflect on feedback, make bold decisions, and maintain alignment across roles. Mark Wavle’s work on healthy rework supports this mindset by redefining change as a vehicle for learning rather than a symptom of failure (https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/rethink-your-rework-embracing-healthy-rework-maximize-effectiveness-video).
The Double Diamond and Problem Framing
The Double Diamond model offers a complementary lens for guiding innovation. Comprising two major phases, the model distinguishes between the exploration of a problem and the development of its solution. Each phase is further divided into divergent and convergent stages. First, the scope of inquiry expands as teams seek to understand the problem from multiple angles. Then, ideas are refined, narrowed, and synthesised into a clear definition. This pattern is repeated in the solution space, culminating in the delivery of an implemented outcome.
This structure aligns naturally with Scrum practices. During Product Backlog Refinement and early discovery efforts, Scrum Teams engage in divergent exploration by investigating customer needs, assessing risks, and mapping constraints. Product Owners serve as facilitators of this exploration, shaping problem understanding before decisions are made about how to respond. As the team converges on a Sprint Goal and selects PBIs, the second diamond begins to take shape. Scrum’s time-boxes (Sprints) provide a cadence for solution development, during which the team iteratively builds, tests and refines its work. Through this, convergence is not a one-time decision but a dynamic outcome of feedback loops. In some ways, it never ends.
This alignment also reveals one of the most frequent tensions in product development: the tendency to converge too early. Without sufficient problem understanding, teams risk building solutions that are irrelevant or misaligned. The Double Diamond provides a disciplined reminder to invest in problem framing before rushing to execution. Scrum, with its iterative delivery cycles, reinforces this lesson by allowing teams to adjust course frequently based on empirical evidence. When both models are used together, teams learn to apply creative structure without stifling flexibility.
Bridging Frameworks for Innovation
Scrum does not prescribe how teams should innovate, but it provides structural enablers that map well to the phases of the Double Diamond. Sprint Reviews, for example, offer a recurring opportunity for validation and alignment, allowing stakeholders to inspect outcomes and shape future direction. Retrospectives, meanwhile, embed learning into the delivery process, ensuring that innovation is not accidental but intentional. Each Sprint becomes a microcosm of the design process: explore, define, develop, deliver.
The integration of these models also reframes the roles within a Scrum Team. Scrum Masters are not merely facilitators of efficiency. They are stewards of learning, responsible for cultivating conditions that support open inquiry and experimentation. They ensure that space is preserved for teams to investigate hypotheses, fail safely, and reflect with intent. Roland Flemm’s insights into agile transformation reinforce this view, arguing that without a supportive organisational design, the capacity for innovation remains constrained regardless of the framework being used (https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/what-does-it-take-make-agile-transformation-sustain).
Product Owners similarly carry a dual burden. They are responsible not just for ordering the backlog, but for enabling clarity on which problems are worth solving. In this sense, they act as the primary agents in the Discover and Define stages of the Double Diamond, shaping what work enters development and why. Their decisions have to balance stakeholder expectations, user insights and organisational goals, all within a time-boxed environment that prizes responsiveness. It is a demanding role, one that benefits significantly from the structured exploration that the Double Diamond enables.
Conclusion
Scrum and the Double Diamond are not alternative methods but compatible lenses. Together, they provide a structured yet flexible way of innovating within constraints. Scrum brings cadence, accountability and adaptability to delivery. The Double Diamond brings discipline and breadth to discovery. Used in tandem, these models help teams avoid premature convergence, support informed experimentation and deliver outcomes that matter. For teams and organisations committed to continuous learning, this integration offers not just a toolkit but a way of working. Innovation is no longer relegated to workshops or isolated initiatives. It becomes embedded in the daily rhythm of the team. That rhythm, when guided by the structure of the Double Diamond and supported by the discipline of Scrum, is capable of transforming both what is built and how it is built.
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References
Yuval Yeret. The Scrum Guide – A Leader’s Perspective. Scrum.org.
https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-guide-leaders-perspectiveMark Wavle. Rethink Your Rework. Scrum.org.
https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/rethink-your-rework-embracing-healthy-rework-maximize-effectiveness-videoRoland Flemm. What Does it Take to Make an Agile Transformation Sustain. Scrum.org.
https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/what-does-it-take-make-agile-transformation-sustain