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Compare · Updated November 5, 2026

Who can design an MVP for a seed-stage startup?

Who to hire to design an MVP at seed stage: a freelancer, a design studio or a design-and-build agency, what each costs, and which one fits.

The short answer

Three kinds of people can design an MVP for a seed-stage startup. A freelancer, if you’re still testing the idea. A design studio, like Baobun Studio (from $15,000) or Designpixil (from $3,000), once you know the problem is real and you have engineers. A design-and-build agency, like Fuselab ($14,999) or Goji Labs (from $25,000), if you have no engineers yet.

Our take: Most MVPs try to do too much. Design the one flow that matters, test it with real people, and make sure the next screens can match.

By Charles Postiaux, founder of Baobun Studio · November 5, 2026

Three ways to do it. 01

FreelancerDesign studioDesign and build agency
CostUsually the lowestFrom $3,000 (Designpixil) to $15,000 (Baobun Studio)$14,999 to from $25,000
You getScreensFlows, a design system, a prototypeA working first version
You needSomeone to brief and reviewEngineers to build itNot much: they build it
Best whenYou’re testing the ideaYou know the problem is realYou have no engineers

Prices from each studio’s own site, November 5, 2026.

What an MVP design needs. 02

  • The one job the first version does, and who it’s for.
  • That one flow designed from start to finish, including empty and error states.
  • A small design system, so the next screens match.
  • A prototype tested with a few real users before it’s built.

Mistakes we see. 03

  • Designing the whole roadmap instead of the one flow that matters.
  • Skipping tests because the launch date is close.
  • No design system, so version two starts from zero.
  • Paying for a full build before anyone has clicked a prototype.

Where we fit. 04

We design MVPs from $15,000: the core flows, a design system and a coded prototype tested with your users, built by your engineers with our front-end help. We’ve designed for Booking.com, Serko, Slack and Mux, and the founder designs every project. If you have no engineers yet, a design-and-build agency is the better choice.

Questions. The ones people ask next.

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How long does MVP design take?

Between 6 and 8 weeks for most B2B products: the core flows, every screen of version one, a design system and a tested prototype.

Should we design before we have engineers?

Yes, if you’re about to hire them. A tested design and a prototype make the first build faster and the hire easier.

Keep reading. Related pages.

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