MVP design: from idea to a product people can use
An MVP has one job: get a real product in front of users quickly, without building the wrong thing. I’ve designed MVPs for web apps, mobile apps and SaaS products, from first idea to launch, for startups in health, fintech, education and commerce, including 15+ products at Crowdbotics. I also design and build my own, AI ones included: Missed Call Assistant, an AI assistant that turns missed calls into booked appointments over WhatsApp, is in testing, Focus98, a focus app for Android, is almost ready for launch, and Hasty, a slow-mail pen pal app built with React Native, is in private testing.
What this involves
- 01MVP scope: the few flows that prove the idea, and what can wait until after launch
- 02User flows and wireframes for the core journey
- 03Launch-ready UI for web or mobile, with the states developers need
- 04Clickable prototypes for user and investor testing
- 05A small component library, so the team builds fast and keeps going after launch
- 06AI MVPs I designed and built, from the conversation flow to the model integration
Where I’ve done it
- 0115+ startup products at Crowdbotics, taken from idea to launch
- 02Glimpse, Shipwise and PetTopia, each scoped and tested as a prototype first
- 03My own products: Missed Call Assistant, Focus98, Hasty and Classtis
How I work
An MVP only needs the few flows that prove the idea. The work is mostly deciding what those are.
- 01ScopePick the core journey and list what can wait until after launch
- 02Flows and wireframesMap the core journey end to end and test the logic early
- 03Launch-ready UIFinal screens for web or mobile, with the empty, error and loading states developers need
- 04Prototype and handoffA clickable prototype for investors and early users, plus a small component library to build on
Related work
All projects →
What clients say
5.0 from 73 reviews on Upwork ↗
Connor B. · Mobile app and web app for an eCommerce site · May 2025“It has been a pleasure working with Florin, and we’re happy he said “yes” to our project. He was our #1 pick based on other feedback we read, and our experience was fantastic. Florin is talented, patient, a good listener, and is highly qualified to take on any project. He has become a true partner and is an excellent collaborator. He’s a seasoned pro!”
Case studies
Questions
What does an MVP designer do?
Turns an idea into the smallest product worth launching: decides which flows go in, designs them end to end and prepares everything developers need to build it.
How do you decide what goes into an MVP?
I start from the riskiest assumption: the one thing that has to be true for the product to work. The MVP keeps the flows that test it and parks everything else on a list for after launch.
Is an MVP the same as a prototype?
No. A prototype shows how the product would work and is used to test the idea. An MVP is a working product real users can sign up for. A proof of concept comes before both and only checks that the technology is possible.
Does an MVP need a prototype first?
Usually it pays off. A clickable prototype takes days and shows whether people understand the core flow before any code is written. Most of the products I’ve designed went through a prototype first.
Have you built MVPs as well as designed them?
Yes. Design is the core of my work, and I also build products end to end with AI tools: Missed Call Assistant, built with the Claude API, Focus98 for Android and Hasty in React Native, with Classtis live on the web.
What makes a SaaS MVP different?
A SaaS MVP needs the core workflow, onboarding and the few settings that make it usable from day one. Many of my projects are SaaS and dashboard products: CRMs, ticketing, monitoring and analytics tools.
Can developers design an MVP on their own?
Developers can build screens, but first users have to understand an MVP without help, and that is a design problem: which flows go in, what each screen asks for and how onboarding works. Settling that before code is written costs far less than fixing it after launch.
Other areas
- UI/UX designResearch, user flows and interface design for SaaS platforms, dashboards and consumer apps.→
- Rapid prototypingInteractive prototypes for apps and SaaS: clickable in Figma and Framer, or functional in code with AI tools, ready for user testing in days.→
- Embedded product designWorking embedded in product teams: design leadership, hands-on UI/UX and a design system the whole team builds with.→
- App designMobile app design from first idea to App Store-ready screens, for telehealth, education, events, fintech and commerce.→
- Design systemsComponent libraries, design tokens and documentation that keep a product consistent after handoff.→
- AI product designAI UX and user interface design for AI apps, chatbots, assistants and agents: showing model results, confidence and next steps so people can act on them.→
- UX auditUX audits: heuristic evaluation, usability testing and a prioritised list of fixes.→
Let’s talk it through
30 minutes on Google Meet, at a time that suits you.