When developing a new product, two critical approaches are MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and prototype. An MVP is a functional product with just enough features to satisfy early users and provide feedback for future development. Conversely, a prototype is an early sample or model used to test and validate ideas and design choices before full-scale production.

But when should you use an MVP, and when is a prototype more appropriate? What are the main differences between these two approaches, and how do they impact the development process? Understanding these concepts is crucial for successful product development.

So, let’s find out. 

Key Differences- Prototype Vs MVP

These approaches differ in various ways; let’s start with their definition. 

What is a prototype?

When you create a prototype, your product idea takes shape. It’s not simply something in your head; it’s something real.

The size, time, and work involved in a prototype might vary. They could be as simple as a pen-and-paper drawing or more interactive and useful.

Apart from that, a prototype’s primary advantage is facilitating communication between your engineering and design teams. You must instruct them on what to construct! Consider it like the box that an empty package comes in. Nothing is happening underneath, but it does show you what’s inside and how it looks.

Depending on your expertise, you can build your prototype as complex or bare as you desire.

How to construct a prototype?

UX or product designers usually handle the prototyping process. Together with UX researchers, developers, and stakeholders, they work as a team to gather requirements, define the scope, and turn concepts into working prototypes.

Designers employ various tools and techniques to mimic user interactions and provide interactive visual representations of their concepts.

Convince investors with a prototype’s features. When you are in the later stages of fundraising, a prototype is a terrific approach to attract investors’ attention and gain their support for your idea.

Benefits of Prototyping 

• Make the most of your resources: Beginning with a prototype allows you to pinpoint application user interface (UI) aspects that must be fixed before development work starts.
• Repetitive designs: Figma and other interactive prototype technologies enable designers to produce numerous design iterations in a comparatively short time. In this manner, you can select the design that performs the best and do internal testing.
• Gather opinions: You may launch your product with a prototype and get early consumer feedback. During this stage, user testing can significantly enhance and assist you in refining the design, giving you ample opportunity to address any issues.
• Refine the business concept: A prototype can streamline your product concept and present it in an eye-catching way. If a proof of concept indicates that the notion can be constructed, a prototype will give the idea a more polished shape.

Prototype Types

Prototypes come in countless varieties since every project offers something fresh. But our goal is to provide a brief rundown of all the main choices available to you as a business owner.

• Prototype with low fidelity: These are the most fundamental, straightforward product depictions, frequently in paper mockups or sketches. They are excellent for idea generation and brainstorming and are typically created in the early design stages.
• Prototype with high fidelity: High-fidelity prototypes are almost exactly like the finished product in terms of functionality and appearance. They could be interactive mockups, allowing a more engaging interaction with the user. This prototype may require using other software programs like Figma or Invision Studio.
• Digital models: Specialized software and technologies create digital prototypes. These prototypes can mimic user interactions with the product and provide greater involvement. They are exclusive to digital settings, and businesses that produce digital goods typically favor them.
• Tangible prototypes: Physical prototypes, such as physical prototypes or 3D-printed product models, are necessary in several industries, such as robotics and construction. They are used for validation and testing.

An MVP: What is it?

A minimum viable product MVP, is a condensed form of a product that includes only its essential features and capabilities to meet the needs of early adopters. With the least money and resources needed, an MVP seeks to test and validate the product idea in the market.

A functional product, known as an MVP, enables the product team to monitor user engagement, get feedback, and gather important data for use in future iterations and improvements.

With the minor development expenses and time to market, an MVP seeks to balance providing value to users and confirming the product’s feasibility.

How to Construct an MVP

To create an MVP, developers usually combine several tools and technologies, such as development platforms, frameworks, and programming languages unique to the selected tech stack. They might use frameworks like React, Angular, Vue, or fundamental programming languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

Engineering teams work in conjunction with designers, stakeholders, and other team members to specify the MVP’s features, functionality, and priorities. The following are involved in the development process:

• Putting key features into practice
• Connecting to the required databases or APIs
• Placing the product in a test-ready setting 

Characteristics of An MVP

• Obtain user opinions: An MVP is a great way to learn what your early users think of your product and use their input to inform future design iterations.
• Save money and resources: The development effort is decreased since you don’t have to include every feature in your MVP. Additionally, you may create a clear product plan and development route by analyzing user feedback, which reduces the possibility of over-building features.
• Draw in investors: An MVP can help you secure a more significant investment, even though a POC and a prototype can help you raise seed money. After all, if your MVP succeeds and receives favorable feedback, investors are more likely to be persuaded to support your business idea financially.
• Allow the funds to enter: Once your MVP is available on the market and you’ve done enough marketing, you can begin bringing in paying customers who will fuel your expansion.

How Do I Decide Between a Prototype and a Minimal Viable Product ?

Since both are equally significant at various stages of the software development lifecycle, it is ideal that you make no decisions. However, since we don’t live in a perfect world with boundless resources, let’s examine some situations in which you might be an MVP or a prototype.

The particular objectives, stage, and type of your project will determine which option is best.

Selecting MVP

• Validation by the market: If you want to get user input, validate your product idea in the market, and determine whether it’s viable, go with an MVP.
• User communication: If your project needs honest user feedback and engagement to demonstrate its feasibility or enhance its features, an MVP is a good option because it can incorporate analytical tools.
• Experimenting: MVP enables you to experiment with various monetization techniques to determine which works best for your target market.
• Iterative creation: An MVP allows you to release a product quickly, collect feedback, and continually improve.

Selecting a Prototype

• Intricate user interfaces: For projects with elaborate or sophisticated user interfaces, making a prototype enables you to improve the user experience and guarantee that it is efficient and intuitive.
• Generating money: A prototype increases your chances of receiving funding by enabling investors to assess the product’s appearance.
• Projects that focus on design: A prototype is necessary for perfecting branding, user experience, and aesthetics if these factors are critical to the success of your project.
• Conceptualization through visuals: Prototypes are excellent for visualizing design concepts in areas where aesthetics are essential, like fashion, architecture, or graphic design.
• Validation of hypotheses: Prototypes can be crucial tools for hypothesis testing when conducting a pretend-to-own experiment, analyzing client feedback, and analyzing engagement. 

Conclusion 

So, these are methods for testing the product before it is fully developed without requiring full product creation upfront. Therefore, using both MVPs and prototypes can lower expenses, risk, and even future technological debt.

Make a prototype if you have to test the core idea for the product and have a very tight budget.

Create an MVP to assess how well a feature performs compared to what users actually want.

But if you are still confused about whether to go for MVP or Prototypes, feel free to contact us. Our team of experts will help you to find the best solution to grow. 

FAQ

What is next after MVP?

The MMP (Minimum Marketable Product), often referred to as MMR (Minimum Marketable Release) in the industry, is the stage following an MVP.

How are MVP and PoC different from one another?

Concept fulfillment and concept layout are referred to as PoC vs. MVP. PoC helps you determine whether your idea is viable and whether people require your answer. Your solution’s MVP has essential features sufficient for it to be marketed and used by clients.