# Design sprint roles: the facilitator and the Decider

A design sprint has two key roles. The facilitator runs the process: the agenda, the timer, the discussion and the energy of the group. The Decider owns the outcome: they make the final call after each team vote, and the result of the sprint is theirs to act on. The book Sprint advises giving the two roles to different people. AppSprint calls them host and decision-maker, and the host can also name co-hosts.

## Where the two roles come from

Both roles are defined in the book Sprint by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz. The Decider exists because sprints move too fast for consensus: someone with real authority, often a founder, a product lead or a client sponsor, has to be able to say "this one" so the team can move on. The facilitator exists because a group working to a timer needs someone watching the process, not the content.

The book advises against combining them. A facilitator should be neutral about which idea wins, and a Decider cannot be.

## Who does what

|  | Facilitator | Decider |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Owns | The process and the clock | The outcome and what happens after |
| During votes | Runs the vote and the reveal, takes no side | Votes with the team, then makes the final call |
| Good fit | Organised, neutral, comfortable interrupting | Has the authority to act on the result |

## Set up the roles step by step

1. **Choose the Decider first** Ask who could overrule the result afterwards. That person is the Decider. If they cannot attend all of the sprint, they name a delegate whose decisions they will respect.
2. **Choose a facilitator with no stake in the answer** Pick someone happy to keep time and cut discussions short, ideally from outside the team whose idea is on the table.
3. **Agree how decisions will be made (10 minutes)** Tell the team beforehand: everyone works alone, votes are private, the vote is advice, and the Decider chooses.
4. **Brief both people (15 minutes each)** Walk the facilitator through the agenda and timings. Ask the Decider to hold their opinions until others have voted and to explain their choices in a sentence or two.
5. **Close the loop** At the end, the Decider states the decision, the owner and the next step, and the facilitator sends the record to everyone.

## Common mistakes

- A Decider in name only. If someone more senior can reverse the decision later, the team stops investing.
- A Decider who speaks first. Their view becomes the anchor for everyone else's.
- A facilitator who argues for an idea. The group stops trusting the process.

## What changes when the team is remote

The facilitator's job grows: on a call they also manage links, the timer and who is lost, so a co-facilitator is worth having. The Decider's influence is easier to contain online, provided ideas are anonymous and votes are private until the reveal. See [anonymous dot voting](https://appsprint.team/guides/anonymous-dot-voting).

## Doing this in AppSprint

AppSprint shows three roles: host, co-host and decision-maker. The host is the facilitator. Hosts and co-hosts control the timer and move the room from step to step; everyone else sees a read-only countdown. The host assigns co-hosts and the decision-maker. See [guest access and roles](https://appsprint.team/features/guest-access-and-roles).

The decision-maker is the Decider. Team votes are private and advisory, and the decision-maker then confirms each choice. In the Gallery step they keep one to three prototypes, and in [Refine Together](https://appsprint.team/features/refine-together) only the decision-maker prompts the AI while teammates send anonymous suggestions.

One difference from the book: the decision-maker defaults to the host, and the role falls back to the host if the decision-maker disconnects. To follow the book's advice, assign the role to someone else at the start. The agenda is fixed by the template, so a custom agenda needs a different tool. The [Sprint Coach](https://appsprint.team/features/sprint-coach) is pre-recorded voice guidance; it supports the host and does not replace one.

## Questions and answers

**Can the facilitator and the Decider be the same person?**

The book Sprint advises against it, because the facilitator should be neutral and the Decider cannot be. If a small team has no choice, keep ideas anonymous and votes private, and have that person speak last.

**What if the Decider cannot attend the whole sprint?**

They should attend the moments where choices are made, and name a delegate with real authority for the rest. Decisions that can be reversed by someone who was not there are not decisions.

**Does the Decider have to follow the team's vote?**

No. The vote shows where the team's interest lies, and the Decider weighs it with cost, risk and strategy. A good Decider explains briefly when they choose differently.

**What are the facilitator and Decider called in AppSprint?**

The facilitator is the host, helped by optional co-hosts, and the Decider is the decision-maker. The host assigns the decision-maker, who is the host by default.

[Start a One-Hour Sprint](https://appsprint.team/t/one-hour-prototype-sprint)

## Related

- [Guest access and roles: host, co-host and decision-maker](https://appsprint.team/features/guest-access-and-roles)
- [AppSprint for facilitators](https://appsprint.team/for/facilitators)
- [How to run a remote design sprint](https://appsprint.team/guides/how-to-run-a-remote-design-sprint)
- [Align stakeholders on a product decision](https://appsprint.team/use-cases/align-stakeholders-on-a-product-decision)

Source: https://appsprint.team/guides/design-sprint-roles-facilitator-and-decider (last updated 2026-09-17)