What are the best practices for building a minimum viable product (MVP) in design thinking?

There are two ways to properly understand a problem. You can either start: ? Wide: Gather quantitative data through customer SURVEYS and analyze the insights until you find patterns. ? Narrow: Gather qualitative data through customer INTERVIEWS and dig deep until you find the root of the problem. There is no correct or incorrect method, and the best approach is often to try both until you find a middle ground to work with. I typically prefer starting narrow, as this gives me a lot of context about the problem, user personas, and other solutions available.

The first step in design thinking is to deeply understand your target users. Conduct interviews, surveys, and observations to gain insights into their challenges, needs, and motivations. This foundational understanding will guide your MVP development, ensuring it addresses real problems and offers meaningful solutions.

Start with a clear problem—know who you’re helping and why it matters. Then, sketch the simplest version that gets the core value across. Focus on quick prototypes to test with real users; it’s like getting feedback on a recipe before the full meal. And don’t get attached—listen closely, adapt fast, and keep refining. Aim for function over polish. Remember, an MVP isn’t about perfection; it’s about learning what sticks so you can build smarter. Keep it light, flexible, and focused on impact.

To build a minimum viable product (MVP) in design thinking, start by clearly defining your value proposition—the unique benefit your product or service offers. Use tools like the value proposition canvas to align your product with customer needs, wants, and preferences, and differentiate it from competitors. Test your value proposition with customers to ensure it's desirable, feasible, and viable. For example, an MVP could be a subscription service delivering fresh ingredients and recipes to busy parents, providing a clear, tangible benefit that addresses their needs.

Una propuesta de valor es lo que tus clientes obtienen a cambio de su dinero. Es una declaración de cómo tu solución resuelve el problema de tu cliente ideal, destacando sus beneficios. Debe que responder a: ? ?Qué problema resuelve? ? ?Cómo lo hace mejor que la competencia? ? ?Qué beneficios concretos ofrece? Debe ser breve, centrada en el cliente y destacar el valor único que aportas, diferenciándote claramente en el mercado.

the type of MVP that best suits your product and market. There are various approaches, including: 1. Landing Page MVP: A simple webpage that outlines your product idea and collects user interest. 2. Wizard of Oz MVP: A product that appears fully functional but is manually operated behind the scenes. 3. Concierge MVP: A personalized service that mimics the product experience while gathering user feedback. Choosing the right type will depend on your goals, resources, and the complexity of the problem you're addressing.

Escoger el tipo de MVP no es tarea sencilla. Debes considerar varias variables: Presupuesto ? Si tienes recursos limitados, una landing page o un video explicativo es la mejor opción. Complejidad del producto ? Si la solución es compleja, un Mago de Oz permite probar la idea sin desarrollar tecnología avanzada. Necesidad de validación ? Si quieres validar una idea específica, un Single Feature MVP es ideal para enfocarte en una función clave. Tiempo ? Si necesitas resultados rápidos, un Piecemeal MVP usando herramientas existentes es eficiente. La elección del MVP depende de tus recursos, el nivel de complejidad del producto y la urgencia de validación.

Develop your MVP by focusing on the core features that directly address the problem and deliver your value proposition. Avoid feature creep; instead, prioritize simplicity and functionality. The goal is to create a product that is good enough to test your hypotheses and gather meaningful feedback.

?? Testing an MVP without a plan is like setting sail without a compass. Define what you want to learn, your assumptions, and criteria for success or pivot. Without clear hypotheses, you're guessing. ?? MVP testing is about proving or disproving assumptions. Define key metrics like sign-ups, conversions, or retention. Numbers tell you what happened; customer feedback tells you why. Insights lie in customer comments and frustrations. ?? Treat MVPs as hypothesis-driven experiments. Set timelines, identify your audience, and embrace uncertainty. Planning upfront makes testing strategic. ?? MVP testing is about being brave enough to be wrong. Stay open to being on the wrong path. Prevent confirmation bias by seeking disconfirming evidence.

Once your MVP is built, test it with real users. Observe how they interact with your product and gather qualitative and quantitative feedback. This stage is crucial for understanding user behavior, preferences, and pain points. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and validate your assumptions.

Iterating your MVP involves analyzing results and feedback to decide your next steps: persevere, pivot, or kill. **Persevere** if your MVP is showing promise; continue refining it based on customer feedback. **Pivot** if you need to adjust key aspects of your value proposition, such as the problem, solution, target segment, or revenue model, to better align with market needs. **Kill** if the data indicates that the idea is not viable; start fresh with a new concept. Use insights from testing to guide these decisions and remain flexible, avoiding attachment to the original idea and valuing customer feedback.