Minimum viable platform canvas
Test your design assumptions in the real world with this Minimum Viable Platform Canvas. Examine risky assumptions while setting metrics to validate your design within the ecosystem.
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What is the minimum viable platform canvas?
When you design an interactive platform, you may have a lot of ideas but no certain knowledge that they’ll work the way you envision. With Lucidspark’s minimum viable platform (MVP) canvas, you can make sure your platform design covers all bases.
A well-constructed MVP is an integral part of the platform design process. This canvas will allow you and your team to lay out the riskiest assumptions in your strategy, determine how they’ll work with your goals, and create tests and metrics to see if they’re viable, before spending resources on the strategy.
Why use a minimum viable product canvas?
A minimum viable platform canvas, like a minimum viable product plan, helps reveal the simplest way you can reach your goals. However, the interactive nature of a platform means that there’s a little extra work involved.
Whether you’re designing a website, creating a social media campaign, or adding new features to your software, you’ll need to keep track of the network effects. Every change may affect the user’s experience, the success of your conversion rates, and the effectiveness of your business model on that platform.
Ideally, your minimum viable platform canvas should test the following assumptions to determine the simplest effective strategies:
- Business model assumptions: Is the business model actually working? Will you be able to reach your organizational goals with the platform?
- Attraction assumptions: Is the audience drawn to the platform? Can they find what they need?
- Trust assumptions: Can the audience get what they expect by using the platform? Will they feel comfortable following through with the conversion process?
As you test these assumptions with the MVP canvas, you’ll be able to see what will work and what will not.
How to use the minimal viable platform canvas template in Lucidspark
You and your team can easily collaborate on your MVP canvas in real time with our Lucidspark template. Start by considering what platform experiences you want to examine. Then identify what assumptions must be in place to have those experiences work.
For instance, if you’re testing the trust assumption for a service offered through your platform, you may be looking at whether or not your prospective customers will come to a small auto dealership for parts replacement. You assume that they will, but you must have a test in place to validate this assumption.
In every case, you should identify the most unbiased criteria possible to test assumptions: something that can be measured and preferably quantified, such as actual conversion rates. How many prospective customers will click on the link and fill out the contact form for inquiries on auto parts?
Once you’ve determined the assumptions and the criteria for testing, you can use the MVP as a resource for prototyping and carrying out your tests. Through this process, you and your team will be able to eliminate more risky assumptions and create a platform that will function as intended.
