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Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a version of a new product which allows a product team to collect the maximum amount of validated insights about the customers and the design solution with the least effort.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Illustration that represents a light bulb
1. Understand
On the first we stay in the problem space, challenging our understanding of the problem.This is some text inside of a div block.
Illustration that represents some working tools
2. Ideate
On the second day we gather inspiration, ideate and sketch solutions together.
Illustration that represents a futuristic mobile interface
3. Prototype
On the third day we turn the most voted sketches into a prototype and prepare to meet the users.
Illustration that represents some bubble talks
4. Test
On the fourth and final day we test the prototype with users and round off the sprint together.

How it works

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a version of a new product which allows a product team to collect the maximum amount of validated insights about the customers and the design solution with the least effort.

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a version of a new product which allows a product team to collect the maximum amount of validated insights about the customers and the design solution with the least effort.

MVP’s are smart to release to a limited number of customers to get early feedback, iterate and release the next MVP to more customers and so on and so forth, until you are ready and confident for a full public release.

MVP’s are planned UX research activities and not something that should be done because of tight deadlines.

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Define
Measure
Clock icon
4 – 8 weeks
Users icon
Product Owner, Product team
Before

1. Plan your MVP releases. You can use user stories, impact mapping or other ways to scope segments that you can release to.

2. Plan how you select the early users and what methods you use to get feedback between iterations, e.g. customer effort score, user interviews or usability tests.

3. Manage expectations. Communicate to stakeholders, e.g. marketing and sales, that the coming MVP releases are not full releases that can be marketed and sold! This is crucial in managing customer expectations.

During

4. Analyse the feedback. Before starting on the next iteration, make sure to properly collect and analyse feedback from the users. Between each iteration you may want to increase the amount of customers who are using the MVP.

After

5. Follow up and plan actions. Measuring and collecting data is only meaningful if it is followed up and leveraged. Keep the Product Owner(s) up to date and make sure everyone in the product team has access to the data. Showcase the results to Product Owner(s), stakeholders, product teams and the steering group, educating everyone on how you can leverage the results to inform priorities and make smarter product decisions together. Decide together what you should investigate further.

6. Launch time! When you are confident enough with your design solution, you can go for a proper launch. Remember to celebrate!

Tips
  • Start with the most important processes and user groups
  • Make sure to test new processes, not features
  • Make sure to use MVPs for experimentation and validation, not as permanent solutions because of tight deadlines.
Learn more
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Before

1. Plan your MVP releases. You can use user stories, impact mapping or other ways to scope segments that you can release to.

2. Plan how you select the early users and what methods you use to get feedback between iterations, e.g. customer effort score, user interviews or usability tests.

3. Manage expectations. Communicate to stakeholders, e.g. marketing and sales, that the coming MVP releases are not full releases that can be marketed and sold! This is crucial in managing customer expectations.

During

4. Analyse the feedback. Before starting on the next iteration, make sure to properly collect and analyse feedback from the users. Between each iteration you may want to increase the amount of customers who are using the MVP.

After

5. Follow up and plan actions. Measuring and collecting data is only meaningful if it is followed up and leveraged. Keep the Product Owner(s) up to date and make sure everyone in the product team has access to the data. Showcase the results to Product Owner(s), stakeholders, product teams and the steering group, educating everyone on how you can leverage the results to inform priorities and make smarter product decisions together. Decide together what you should investigate further.

6. Launch time! When you are confident enough with your design solution, you can go for a proper launch. Remember to celebrate!

Tips
  • Start with the most important processes and user groups
  • Make sure to test new processes, not features
  • Make sure to use MVPs for experimentation and validation, not as permanent solutions because of tight deadlines.
Learn more

Templates

Ultimately, the choice of design tool depends on the specific needs of the designer and the project at hand. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and designers must consider factors such as cost, ease of use, and collaboration features when selecting the best tool for their needs.

Mural Board
Design Sprint 2.0 board

Follow this day-by-day exercise schedule for a meaningful and efficient Design Sprint.

Tool recommendations

Below you will find some tool recommendations, but please note that you are free to choose whatever tool you prefer. For some tools we have group wide licenses, in which case access can be requested via [email protected]. Remember that you always need cost approval from your immediate manager.

Snowplow
Snowplow
Snowplow allows you to create first-party customer data in real time to power next-gen digital analytics and customer engagement.
Snowplow
Google Analytics
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports traffic.
Google Analytics
Mural
Mural
Mural offers both a shared workspace and training, a practical way to collaborate that anyone can learn and apply.
Mural
FigJam
FigJam
An online collaborative whiteboard for teams.
FigJam
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