We decided to write this article to demonstrate, using a real example and our team's experience, how to quickly (in just a few days) and effectively develop interfaces for an MVP using open libraries and an experienced UX/UI designer.
As an example, we chose one of our custom projects, which we started without any formal specifications and with minimal initial information. The project deadline was described as «We needed this yesterday!». What was notable in our case was how our specialists helped prioritize tasks, thereby meeting the client's needs and quickly achieving the result - ready MVP design layouts.
The approaches and practices described in the article can be adopted by any startup team to accelerate the release of new product versions and optimize design work. The generalized conclusions can be found in the final section 'Recommendations for Startup Teams from a Designer'.
The founder of an early-stage startup from California approached us with the task of developing an MVP platform aimed at reducing cloud infrastructure expenses. The functionality involved allowing users to quickly monitor their server performance and receive recommendations for improvement. Later on, users could also order and pay for more cost-effective solutions.
Initially, the MVP was created for students at US universities who needed affordable servers. The first version was expected to have users install a script themselves to monitor server status, and then in the service itself, they would receive analysis results and alternative options.
The MVP's goal was to understand whether there is a market need for such a service and whether it addresses a real problem, not an imaginary one. Consequently, the initial implementation was to be done with a minimal budget and time. There was no direct automatic monetization planned in the first version. The first clients and payments were to be processed manually by the customer: this would happen after a client had used the service and was ready to pay for the connection of alternatives.
At the time our team was brought on board, the client provided limited materials: a few marker drawings reflecting their vision of the interface, and brief comments about the project idea.
Example of images/sketches provided to us by the client at the start of the project.