Are you in the process of designing an MVP for your startup? 🚀
One of the questions that entrepreneurs are asking is: how many screens should your MVP have?
There's no magic number, but there are a few things to consider so you can guess the number for your specific case.
In this article, we'll see how to determine the optimal number of screens for your MVP, prioritize features, and design an MVP that strikes the perfect balance between functionality and simplicity.
How to Determine the Number of Screens for an MVP
The key to deciding on your MVP's screen count is to ruthlessly prioritize your core features.
Remember, the purpose of an MVP is to test your riskiest assumptions with the minimal feature set required. It's about getting a workable product in front of users as quickly as possible to gather real-world feedback.
Start by defining the absolute essential functionality needed for your product to deliver value. These are the features without which your product simply wouldn't make sense or serve its intended purpose.
For example, if you're building a food delivery app, the core functionality might include:
- Browsing restaurant options
- Viewing menu items
- Adding items to cart
- Placing an order
- Tracking delivery status
Any features beyond these, while potentially valuable down the line, are not essential for the MVP.
If you want to know more about the design aspect of MVP development, check out my article on UX considerations for designing an MVP.
Prioritizing Core Functionality Over Extras
Once you've defined your core feature set, map out the simplest possible user flow to access those features.
Let's say the basic flow for our food delivery app looks like:
- Login/create account screen
- Restaurant browsing screen
- Menu item details screen
- Cart/checkout screen
- Order tracking screen
In this case, we could likely build a functional MVP with just 5 core screens, along with some supplementary screens like settings, profile management, etc.
Resist the temptation to cram in extra bells and whistles at this stage. Remind yourself that the goal is to validate your concept, not build a fully-featured final product.
Balancing Simplicity and Usability in MVP Design
That said, you also want to strike a balance between simplicity and usability. While your MVP should be minimal, it still needs to provide a good enough user experience to keep people engaged.
If your MVP feels too stripped-down or incomplete, users may not stick around long enough for you to gather meaningful insights.
Look for opportunities to streamline and combine features in an intuitive way. Use design techniques like progressive disclosure to tuck away secondary features and keep the main interface clean.
User test ruthlessly and iterate based on feedback. You may find that certain assumed 'essential' features can be removed, while others need more prominence.
Can You Build Multiple MVPs for Different Use Cases?
In some cases, it may make sense to build multiple MVPs to test different use cases or target audiences.
For example, let's say you're building a fitness app that serves both individual consumers and gyms/personal trainers. The core features and user flows for those two groups will likely be quite different.
Rather than trying to cram everything into a single MVP, you might choose to build separate, tailored MVPs for each use case. This allows you to validate your assumptions for each audience without diluting the experience.
Of course, this approach requires more resources than a single MVP. It only makes sense if the use cases are distinct enough and the potential payoff is large enough to justify essentially building two products.
MVP Screen Design and Information Architecture
Now let's talk about how to actually design your MVP screens for maximum impact and usability.
The key principle here is simplicity. Avoid the temptation to cram too much into each screen. Use whitespace liberally. Stick to clear, concise copy and intuitive visual design.
In terms of information architecture (IA), your MVP structure should be as simple and linear as possible. Avoid too many sub-menus or buried features.
Remember, you can always add more complexity later based on user feedback. It's much harder to simplify an interface that's overcrowded from the start.
Here are a few specific tips for MVP screen design:
- Prioritize one primary action per screen
- Use consistent navigation patterns
- Make CTAs clear and prominent
- Opt for familiar design patterns over clever innovations
- Design with accessibility in mind
Above all, stay focused on your core value proposition. Every screen in your MVP should contribute to solving the key problem for your target user.
Putting It All Together
So, how many screens should an MVP have? As you can probably tell by now, there's no magic number. It truly depends on the unique needs of your product and audience.
However, by following the guidelines we've laid out - prioritizing core features, streamlining user flow, and relentlessly focusing on simplicity - you can arrive at an MVP that strikes the optimal balance.
The key is to stay agile and open to feedback. Don't get too attached to your initial assumptions. Be ready to iterate and pivot quickly based on what you learn from real users.
With the right approach, you can design an MVP that not only validates your concept, but lays a strong foundation for future growth and success.
So get out there and start testing! The real learning begins when you put your MVP in the hands of users. 🚀
