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SaaS Design Service
SaaS MVP design services for founders deciding what to build first
We help you turn a SaaS idea into a clear first version: the problem it solves, the journey your first users take, and the screens your developers need. You get a clickable prototype you can test and show, and design files ready to build.
What an MVP design project produces
Feature prioritiesCore user journeyWireframesClickable prototypeFinal UI for key screensComponent kitDeveloper handoff
Where you are now
Every MVP starts from a different place
Some founders arrive with a sentence, others with a 40-page spec. Pick the one that sounds most like you to see where we would start.
“I have an idea and some notes”
You know the problem and who has it, but nothing is written down as screens yet.
Where we would start
A short working session to agree the first user, the main job they need done and the features that support it.
What you would have at the end
A one-page product brief, a feature list split into “version one” and “later”, and the core journey.
“I have a spec or a long feature list”
You’ve thought about the product a lot. The list is long, and everything feels important.
Where we would start
Sorting the list into what the first version needs and what can wait, then mapping the journey through the features that stay.
What you would have at the end
A shorter, agreed scope, user flows and a screen list for the first release.
“I have a prototype or no-code version”
Something exists, and maybe a few people use it. It works, but it’s hard to use or hard to build on properly.
Where we would start
A review of what you have and what users struggle with, then a cleaner journey and proper screens.
What you would have at the end
Redesigned flows and screens, a component kit, and files your developers can build from.
“My developers are ready to build”
You have a team or an agency lined up, and they need designs to work from.
Where we would start
Getting the design to a buildable state quickly, with every screen and state your developers will ask about.
What you would have at the end
Final UI for the first release, a clickable prototype and a full developer handoff.
Deciding what to build first
How we decide what goes into version one
The hardest part of an MVP isn’t the design. It’s choosing what to leave out. We work through four questions with you, and every feature has to earn its place against the answers.
- 1
Who is the very first user?
Not “small businesses”, but the person who will log in on day one and what their week looks like.
- 2
What job must they finish?
The one outcome that would make them come back. Everything in version one should lead to it.
- 3
What would they do without you?
The spreadsheet, email thread or workaround you’re replacing. Your first version only has to beat that.
- 4
What do you need to learn?
The assumption that matters most right now, such as whether teams will invite colleagues. The design should make it easy to see.
Version one5 items
Sign up and first setup
The one task the product exists for
The result the user came for
Basic account settings
Empty, loading and error states
LaterParked, not deleted
Integrations with other tools
Advanced reports and exports
Custom roles and permissions
Custom branding for customers
A mobile app
An MVP isn’t a worse version of your product. It’s the smallest version that’s genuinely useful, designed properly.
Prototype, design or build?
A prototype, a designed MVP and a built MVP
These three get mixed up a lot, and they cost very different amounts. MVP design covers the first two. Here’s what each one gives you.
| Question | Clickable prototype | Designed MVP | Built MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Linked screens that look and click like the product, with no working code behind them | Every screen and state of your first release, designed and documented for developers | Working software that real users can sign up for and use |
| What you can do with it | Test the journey with users, walk investors and partners through the idea | Hand it to developers to build without guessing | Launch, learn from real usage and start charging |
| What it can’t do | Store data, send emails or prove people will pay | Run on its own until it’s built | Tell you what to build next without feedback |
| Who makes it | Our design team | Our design team | Your developers, or our SaaS MVP development team |
Clickable prototype
- What it is
- Linked screens that look and click like the product, with no working code behind them
- What you can do with it
- Test the journey with users, walk investors and partners through the idea
- What it can’t do
- Store data, send emails or prove people will pay
- Who makes it
- Our design team
Designed MVP
- What it is
- Every screen and state of your first release, designed and documented for developers
- What you can do with it
- Hand it to developers to build without guessing
- What it can’t do
- Run on its own until it’s built
- Who makes it
- Our design team
Built MVP
- What it is
- Working software that real users can sign up for and use
- What you can do with it
- Launch, learn from real usage and start charging
- What it can’t do
- Tell you what to build next without feedback
- Who makes it
- Your developers, or our SaaS MVP development team
What you receive
What’s included in SaaS MVP design
Work is grouped into three stages. Each one ends with something you can review and approve before the next one starts.
1
Define
Agree what the product is for
- Product briefOne page covering the first user, the problem and the result they want. It keeps every later decision honest.
- Feature prioritiesYour feature list sorted into “version one” and “later”, with the reason for each call written down.
- Core user journey and flowsThe steps from sign-up to the first useful result, including what happens when something goes wrong.
- Screen listEvery screen the first release needs, so the scope is visible and agreed before design starts.
2
Shape
Check the structure before the detail
- WireframesSimple grey layouts of each screen. Your team can review structure and flow while changes are still quick and cheap.
- Clickable prototypeLinked screens you can click through on a laptop or phone, to test with users and share with your team or investors.
- Prototype testingShort sessions where people try the core journey and we watch where they hesitate, then fix it before anything is built.
3
Finish
Get it ready to build
- Final UI for MVP screensEvery screen in your visual style, with empty, loading, error and success states, not just the happy path.
- Component kitButtons, forms, tables and other building blocks in Figma, so new screens after launch look like they belong.
- Responsive layoutsHow screens adapt to tablets and phones, where your first users need them.
- Developer handoffOrganised files, specs and notes on behaviour, plus a walkthrough with your developers.
How it works
From idea to ready-to-build design
Nothing moves on without your sign-off. These are the points where you decide.
- 1
Free call
You tell us about the idea, who it’s for and where you are. We tell you honestly whether MVP design is the right next step.
- 2
Scope and plan
You get a written scope, timeline and price based on the number of screens and how much you already have.
You approve the scope - 3
Define
A working session, often half a day, to agree the first user, the core journey and what goes into version one.
You approve the feature list - 4
Flows and wireframes
We map the journey and lay out every screen in simple grey. Your developers can join this review.
You approve the structure - 5
Prototype and test
We link the screens into a clickable prototype and test the core journey with a few people from your audience.
You decide what to change - 6
Final design and handoff
We finish the UI and components, then hand everything to your developers with a walkthrough. If you want us to build it, we can.
You approve the final screens
Before handoff
How we know the design is ready to build
A design that looks finished can still leave developers guessing. This is the checklist every MVP design goes through before we hand it over.
- Every screen in the first release is designed, with its empty, loading and error states
- The core journey works from start to finish in the prototype
- Edge cases are decided, such as what happens when an invite fails or a payment is declined
- Real words are used throughout, not placeholder text
- Components are named and reused consistently, so developers build each one once
- Responsive behaviour is noted for the screens that need it
- Your developers have walked through the files and their questions are answered
Our work
First versions we’ve designed
Both products below started without an existing product. We designed the first version, then built and launched it with the client. Client names are withheld.
Idea to launch
Read case study →
New productDesignDevelopmentSEOPPC
Driving theory app
We designed the product, built the app and the website, then grew it with SEO and Google Ads.
+38%quiz completion
1.8saverage page load
~20,000organic visits a month
Testimonials
In their own words
Client names are withheld. Each quote comes from a real client and is shown with their company type only.
[Paste the client's own words here. A short, specific story about what changed after launch.]
[Paste the client's own words here. One or two plain sentences.]
[Paste the client's own words here. One or two plain sentences.]
[Paste the client's own words here. One or two plain sentences.]
Cost and timing
What shapes the cost and timeline
We don’t list fixed prices, because one MVP can have six screens and another sixty. These are the things that change the size of the project. You get a written scope, timeline and price before any work starts.
Number of user types
An admin and a customer are two journeys, each with its own screens.
Number of screens and states
The biggest single factor. The screen list from the Define stage makes it visible.
What you already have
A clear brief or an existing prototype shortens the early stages.
Testing
Testing the prototype with people from your audience adds time, and usually saves more later.
Brand
If you don’t have a logo, colours or type yet, we need a simple visual starting point.
Platforms
Web only, or web plus phone-sized layouts for some screens.
Smaller first step
Design consultation
An hour or two on your idea, your feature list or a prototype you already have, with clear recommendations.
About design consultation →Most common
MVP design project
Define, shape and finish: from feature priorities to a tested prototype and developer-ready files.
Discuss your MVP →Design and build
MVP design and development
One team designs and builds your first version, so nothing gets lost between the two.
About SaaS MVP development →Services
Other SaaS design services
This page covers designing the first version of a new product. If you need something different, one of these may fit better. You can also combine them.
01
SaaS Website Design
A marketing website and landing pages that explain what your product does and lead visitors to a trial or demo, planned with search in mind.
- Homepage, product and pricing pages
- Page structure planned for search
- Layouts that work on desktop and mobile
02
SaaS Product Redesign
A structured update of a live product, planned so current users can keep working while the experience gets clearer.
- Review of how people use the product today
- Updated flows and screens, planned in stages
- A prototype you can review before anything is built
03
SaaS UI/UX Design
The screens and flows of a product that’s past its first version, from onboarding to billing, designed so users reach their first result faster.
- Onboarding, dashboards, settings and billing
- User flows, wireframes and a clickable prototype
- Developer-ready files in Figma
04
SaaS UX Audit
A review of your current product to find where users struggle, with recommendations on what to fix first.
- Review of your current product and flows
- Where users get stuck, and why it matters
- Recommendations in order of priority
05
SaaS Design Consultation
Expert advice on a specific design decision, for teams that need guidance rather than a full project.
- Advice on one clear design question
- Feedback on your designs or prototypes
- A recommendation you can act on
FAQ
Questions about MVP design
They help you design the first usable version of a software product. That means deciding which features the first release needs, mapping the journey users take, and designing the screens, from wireframes to a clickable prototype to final, developer-ready designs. The software itself is built afterwards, by your developers or ours.
MVP design decides what the product does and how it looks and works, screen by screen. MVP development turns those designs into working software. Many founders do both with us, but design works on its own too. See SaaS MVP development for the build side.
A clickable prototype is enough to test whether people understand the idea and can follow the journey, and to show it to others. A built MVP is needed to see whether people will use it for real and pay for it. Most founders design and test a prototype first, then build.
Yes. You bring the knowledge of the problem and the customers. We handle the product and design decisions with you in plain language, and prepare everything your developers will need.
That’s a common starting point. The Define stage turns the idea into a brief, a feature list and a core journey before any screens are designed.
We work out who the first user is, what job they need done and what you most need to learn. Features that support those answers go into version one. Everything else is parked for later, with the reason written down.
Where it helps, yes. We test the clickable prototype with a few people from your audience before anything is built. If you already have users, we can involve them. If time is tight, we can review it together instead.
Yes. Many founders use the clickable prototype to explain the product in meetings. It shows how the product works, but it can’t prove demand on its own.
Yes. Every screen comes with its states, behaviour notes and specs, and we walk your developers through the files and answer their questions.
It depends mainly on the number of user types and screens, how much you already have and whether we test the prototype. You get a written scope, timeline and price before any work starts.
You do. Once the work is paid for, the designs, prototype and files belong to you.
Once real people use the product, you’ll learn what to improve next. We can keep designing new features with you, or help you improve the product as it grows.
Tell us about your idea
Book a free call and walk us through the problem you want to solve and who has it. We’ll tell you what we’d design first, what we’d leave for later, and whether MVP design is the right next step. If it isn’t, we’ll say so.
Book a Free Call
Prefer email? Write to hello@saasassistant.com
What happens next
- 1You pick a time that works for you.
- 2Send us any notes, specs or sketches beforehand, if you have them. Nothing is needed to start.
- 3After the call, you get a short summary of what we would design first.