Top 15 Tools and Resources for Building a Minimum Viable Product

Launching with a fully-developed product/service is certainly an admirable feat; however, most get by initially with a minimum viable product (MVP)—or an offering developed with features adequate enough to satisfy initial customers. These early adopters can then provide feedback for product enhancements down the road.

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15. Balsamiq Mockups 14. Origami Studio 13. Justinmind 12. Keynotopia 11. Startup Stash 10. Axure 9. Pidoco 8. Webflow 7. Mockingbird 6. Unbounce 5. Wireframe.cc 4. Moqups 3. IFTTT 2. UXPin 1. Proto.io Source(s):

MVP development merges several product development activity streams, namely prototyping, UI/UX development, usability testing, and more. The following are the top 15 tools and resources for developing your tech startup’s MVP.

15. Balsamiq Mockups

Balsamiq’s collaborative mockup tool makes creating and reviewing wireframes amongst team members and clients a trivial affair. The solution is available for free on a limited trial basis as a desktop or web app.

14. Origami Studio

Originally an internal tool developed by Facebook, Origami Studio is a prototyping solution for exploring, iterating, and testing product ideas. The solution is available exclusively for Mac OSX desktops.

13. Justinmind

Justinmind is web and mobile app prototyping solution that allows users to build compelling prototypes via an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. The solution comes with a library of templates and pre-loaded UI kits for getting product design off the ground more quickly.

12. Keynotopia

Keynotopia combines the power of Keynote and Powerpoint to offer users an easy-to-use mobile app UI prototyping platform. The solution is being used by product designers from leading enterprises such as IDEO, eBay, Oracle, Walt Disney, Philips, and LG, to name a few.

11. Startup Stash

Startup Stash is a leading online resource for entrepreneurs that features the best of all things startup-related, from market research tools to marketing and social tools. Check out the website’s MVP and Mockups & Wireframing sections.

10. Axure

Axure is a leading tool for building prototypes, specifications, and diagrams on the Mac and PC. The offering is currently used by over 87% of Fortune 100 enterprises.

9. Pidoco

Pidoco’s app allows users to create click-through wireframes and interactive UX prototypes quickly and easily. The SaaS-based solution is available for free on a trial basis.

8. Webflow

Webflow’s solution makes prototype design a fast, seamless affair—and when finished, completed prototypes can be transformed into production-ready sites with one click. The offering also offers a CMS feature enabling users to create powerful, dynamic sites without having to write a single line of code.

7. Mockingbird

Mockingbird is a wireframing app that focuses on three important pillars of mockup creation: the idea, the information, and the interaction. The solution—available as a free trial—features a drag-and-drop interface and supports client and teammate collaboration/sharing.

6. Unbounce

Unbounce is a solution for creating and testing the effectiveness of landing pages. The solution is being used by over 14,000 brands.

5. Wireframe.cc

Wireframe.cc has developed a minimal, no-fuss online tool for creating effective wireframes. The solution works in-browser, right off the cuff—no downloads or registration required.

4. Moqups

Moqups is an online tool that allows users to work collaboratively on wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and more. A myriad of prominent enterprises are currently using the solution to design their apps and websites, including Mozilla, BBC, Microsoft, Amazon, and LG, to name a few.

3. IFTTT

IFTTT allows users to connect a variety of different services via “applets”—from photography to voice assistants—to creating powerful MVP experiments. The solution is available as an Android/iOS app as well as via the web.

2. UXPin

UXPin is a leading solution for UI/UX design, with a focus on Agile development. The solution merges system design, prototyping, and documentation design in one platform, and offers a series of short, impactful tutorials for getting up-to-speed quickly.

1. Proto.io

Proto.io is an app that allows users to create fully-interactive, high-fidelity prototypes that work like real apps—without having to write a single line of code. The solution is entirely web-based (read: no download/install required) and comes with a set of ready-made website and app templates.

In short, MVPs allow fledgling startups to start off their product development journeys on the right foot—to this end, these 15 aforementioned tools should be part of every tech entrepreneur’s arsenal. By focusing a preliminary product that solves a specific problem for a subset of users, entrepreneurs can test assumptions and make iterative refinements and minimize the cost of development, all while realizing immediate value.