It’s always exciting when Bluehouse Group gets a chance to roll up our sleeves and create either a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or a prototype. These projects typically come from businesses and individuals that have fantastic ideas and want to take those ideas further. In order to do that, it’s crucial to build either an MVP or a prototype, but what are the differences between them?
What Is a Prototype?
A prototype is the earliest version that shows how the future app, website, or software would work. It’s a simple visual representation of your idea that helps you collect feedback from project stakeholders or end users and identify areas for improvement.
Prototypes come in various forms of fidelity. On the simpler end, you might have low-fidelity prototypes, which could be as straightforward as hand-drawn sketches or paper wireframes. Alternatively, high-fidelity prototypes are more interactive and allow you to experience the look and feel of the key software features, these prototypes are great for demoing the software or idea.
Key Benefits of Prototyping
Prototyping is a cost-effective approach, it’s particularly beneficial for startups and small businesses. It’s a way for you to test new concepts and designs before committing significant resources.
What Is an MVP?
An MVP is a simplified version of the future product – a basic software build with just enough functionality to satisfy initial users. MVPs are primarily created to conduct live testing of the product with a broader audience and gather early feedback.
The main difference between a prototype and an MVP is that an MVP is a market-ready application. While it may lack some features and polish compared to a final product, it’s still a functional app.
Key Benefits of an MVP
MVPs provide a realistic representation of the final product giving you an opportunity to collect a lot of user feedback, this can help you gain practical insights that prototypes do not always provide.
MVPs are also valuable for attracting early users and generating buzz for your product. This can help you build a loyal user base early on before fully entering the market.
Conclusion
Creating either a prototypes or an MVP plays a critical role in the development process, and Bluehouse Group is here to guide you through which mode to choose. Whether you’re a startup looking to minimize risk or an established business aiming to see a new idea in action, our team is ready to design and develop solutions that meet your needs.
If you have an idea and need an MVP or a prototype, please contact Bluehouse Group, let’s take your vision one step further.