Unit 3: Designing Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Introduction: From Paper to Pixels
You’ve created a paper prototype, and you’ve tested it with your team. Now it’s time to take your concept to the next level by creating a digital prototype or wireframe. This is the first step towards a polished and professional-looking project.
A digital prototype lets you share your ideas more easily with judges and get feedback from others. It’s a key part of showing that you have a well-thought-out plan.
Part 1: Choosing Your Tools
A wireframe is a basic layout of your app’s screens. A digital prototype adds interactivity, so you can click through the screens. There are many tools you can use, including these free and easy-to-learn options:
Recommended Tools
- Figma: A powerful, industry-standard tool for creating wireframes and prototypes. It has a free plan that’s perfect for a team project.
- Canva: A simple design tool you may already know. You can use it to create basic wireframes by dragging and dropping shapes and text.
- HTML and CSS: If your team has basic coding skills, you can create a working prototype with a single HTML file. This is a great way to show a judge that your project is ready for development.
For this lesson, we’ll focus on the concepts of a wireframe and digital prototype, regardless of the tool you use.
Part 2: The Digital Prototyping Process
Follow these steps to create your digital prototype:
Step 1: Map Your User Flow
Refer to your paper prototype. Which screens are connected? Use a simple diagram or a list to show the path a user will take through your app (e.g., Splash Screen -> Login Screen -> Home Dashboard).
Step 2: Start with Low Fidelity
Don’t worry about colors, fonts, or images yet. Focus on the core layout. Use simple grey boxes for buttons and images, and placeholder text to show where content will go. This is a “wireframe.”
Step 3: Link Your Screens
In your tool, connect the clickable elements on one screen to the next. For example, when a user clicks the “Log In” button, it should lead to the Home Dashboard screen. This makes your prototype interactive.
Step 4: Get Feedback
Share your digital prototype with your team, your mentor, or even some of the users you interviewed. Watch them click through it to see if the user flow makes sense. Make changes based on their feedback.
Activity: Digital Prototype Simulation
Let’s use an example of a digital learning platform. Click the “Next” and “Previous” buttons to see a user’s journey from a course page to a certificate of completion.
Screen 1: Course Page
Your Mission
It’s time to build your own digital prototype. Choose a tool, open your paper prototype as a guide, and start drawing. When you’re done, test it out with your team and get ready to start planning your development sprint.
