Minimum Viable Product (MVP) - UX Words to Know

What is a minimum viable product?

Otherwise known as a MVP in the UX and product world, a minimum viable product is exactly what it sounds like: It’s the most basic thing that you can put in front of your target users that still conveys your idea.

It’s the most basic thing that you can put in front of your target users that still conveys your idea.

An MVP could be a simple landing page that defines what problem you’re trying to solve, a prototype with minimal features, or even a powerpoint presentation. The main purpose of MVPs is to validate whether what you’re building is actually useful to your users with minimal effort. Without it, you might end up spending a lot of resources creating a product, only to realize that no one actually needs or wants that solution.

Now if you’re wondering - “wouldn’t a basic, simple version of my idea look pretty crappy and lose my customers’ trust?”, you’re not alone! This criticism has given rise to terms like Minimum Delightful Product (MDP) which is an evolution of our basic MVP. MDP goes a step further and says it isn’t enough to just convey the idea. Your basic version should also delight and engage the potential customers. So you can validate the idea without losing credibility in your initial version.

At the end of the day, the key concept behind MVP or MDP is to validate your idea with a simple, low-effort concept before you commit resources to building out your product. This will not only save you time and effort, but also ensure that you’re creating real value for your users!