Deciphering the Essential Differences Between Prototypes and MVPs

A new product idea is comparable to a seed. It holds the potential to grow into something remarkable. But just as a seed won’t flourish without proper care, an idea can wither if not nurtured effectively. The danger lies in pouring resources into untested concepts, only to discover they lack the fertile ground of user demand. Prototypes and MVPs can function as virtual greenhouses, providing a controlled environment for your ideas to thrive.

In this blog, we will delve into the distinct roles of prototypes and MVPs and explore the key differences between them. The insights you gain from here will empower you to transform your seedlings into towering sequoia-like successes.

Why Develop a Prototype or MVP

If you have an idea for a product, it might be tempting for you to dive right in and develop it. But your idea alone does not guarantee the success of your venture. Sometimes even great ideas fail because the final product is overly complicated and has a steep learning curve. Prototypes and MVPs help resolve this issue by helping you test out your idea and determine the viability of your product. This is why prototypes and MVPs are unavoidable parts of product development.

But what function does each of these fulfill? And what is the difference between the two? Let’s try and understand.

What is a Prototype?

Remember how our teachers used drawings on the board to explain tricky concepts? A prototype is kind of like that. It’s a simple, visual way to bring your idea to life. By building a prototype, you can determine if your product works as intended and identify challenges early on. 

Purpose of a Prototype – To test the feasibility of your idea before investing in development.

Why Use It?  

• To brainstorm various concepts
• To convey your design vision and requirements
• To test various design concepts and user interactions
• To assess user interactions and identify potential usability issues
• For iterative design processes
• To gather feedback from stakeholders
• To mitigate risks associated with design and development

There are many types of prototypes. You might have come across terms like paper prototype, digital prototype, Wizard of Oz prototype, live-data prototype, and high-fidelity prototype. These are all types of prototyping, but broadly speaking the three main types of prototypes are low-fidelity prototypes, medium-fidelity prototypes, and high-fidelity prototypes. The term fidelity refers to accuracy or exactness in this context. It refers to how closely a prototype resembles the final product in terms of detail, functionality, and interactivity.

• Low-Fidelity Prototypes – It is the most basic version of your product developed in a quick and inexpensive way. Low-fidelity prototypes can be sketches, storyboards, wireframes, or even flowcharts.

• High-Fidelity Prototypes – These prototypes look most like the final product. They have a lot of detail and might include all the design elements, animations, and interactions that will be a part of your final product. Interactive digital prototypes made using tools like Figma are examples.

• Medium-Fidelity Prototypes – These prototypes offer a balance between low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes. The level of fidelity will determine the time and resources it will require to develop a medium-fidelity prototype.

What is an MVP?

An MVP, or Minimum Viable Product, is the basic yet functional version of your product developed by the MVP development company you choose. This product version will incorporate all the core functionalities you initially envisioned. 

The creation of an MVP is an integral part of lean startups. From idea validation to scalability, it comes with many benefits. By investing in MVPs, businesses can gain valuable feedback, minimize risks, enhance product-market fit, reduce time-to-market, and maximize chances of success in competitive markets. 

Purpose of an MVP – To test the core idea of the product with real users and gather feedback.

Why Use It? 

• To validate your product idea
• To test product viability in the market
• To accelerate your time to market
• To establish a presence in the market while minimizing costs
• To demonstrate the feasibility of your product concept to investors or stakeholders
• For iterative development cycles
• To gather feedback from real users in a live environment
• To incrementally add features and refine your product based on feedback

Difference Between Prototype and MVP

A prototype is used to test design concepts and user experience. On the other hand, an MVP is used to test core functionalities and gather real user feedback. It is apparent that a prototype and an MVP are related concepts. However, they are not exactly the same, so what makes them different?

This could be better explained with the help of an example. Imagine that you are developing an app for ordering coffee.

Prototype – Your prototype could be a simple sketch that you draw on paper. It could outline the user flow from selecting a coffee to placing the order. Or it could be a high-fidelity prototype that closely resembles the final design but lacks full functionality. For instance, you might be able to click through the screens but it might not connect to any back-end systems. This means that you won’t be able to actually place an order or make payments.

MVP – An MVP of the same app, developed through MVP development services, will be a very basic but functional app. It won’t have the aesthetics of the final app that you have envisioned. Instead, it will include all the basic features like viewing the menu, selecting a coffee, and placing an order. However, your MVP will lack complex features like customizing orders, multiple payment options, and customer reviews. 

To provide a clearer understanding, here is a table comparing the differences between a prototype and an MVP.

Prototype	MVP
Purpose – To test the design and UI/UX of a product.	Purpose – To validate the market demand and core idea of the product.
Very limited functionality focused on the look and feel.	Basic functionality although with limited features.
Minimal or no integration with backend systems.	Full integration with the backend systems that support core functions.
Tested with a smaller, controlled group.	Tested with a broad audience to gather real-world feedback.
The test group is usually designers, developers, and stakeholders.	The test group is early adopters and real users.
Development time is shorter.	Development time is comparatively longer.
Usually discarded.	Becomes the foundation for further iterations.

We hope that clears things up.

Conclusion

Prototypes, akin to sketches on paper, allow creators to visualize and validate their ideas early on. In contrast, MVPs serve as functional versions of the product, enabling testing with real users and gathering invaluable feedback. Through this blog, we’ve explored the distinct roles of prototypes and MVPs, understanding their differences and how they complement each other in the product development journey. Armed with this knowledge, you are better equipped to ensure that both prototypes and MVPs serve their intended purposes. Whether you’re sketching out initial concepts or collaborating with an MVP development company in India to launch a functional app, it’s crucial to nurture your ideas and test them with real users. This ensures their success in the constantly changing landscape of product development.