MVP design studio comparison
Studio, freelancer or dev shop: who should design your MVP?
Plain answer: for pre-seed and seed founders, the choice comes down to three things: how many people work on it, how you pay, and what you get at the end. A freelancer is usually one person. A dev shop usually bills hours and builds code. Figura is an MVP design studio: a small senior team (a senior designer, an art director and a PM) for a fixed $12,000–$18,000 and a fixed 6 weeks, focused on getting the MVP right before you build.
Side-by-side comparison
Who works on it
Senior designer, art director and PM
Usually one person
Developers, often with design as a side service
Pricing model
Fixed: $12,000–$18,000 one-time
Usually hourly or per project
Usually hourly
Timeline
Fixed 6 weeks
Depends on one person’s availability
Depends on build scope
Main output
Up to 50 production screens, design system, clickable prototype, 20-page pitch deck
Screens, scope varies
Working code
Best when
You need a testable, investor-ready MVP design fast, before you build
You have a small, well-defined design task
Your design is settled and you need it built
When a freelancer makes sense
• You need a small, well-defined piece of work, such as a few screens or a landing page.
• You already have a product lead who can manage scope, feedback and handoff.
• Watch out for: a single point of failure, and no PM or art director to keep scope, quality and brand consistent.
When a dev shop makes sense
• Your flows and design are already settled and the main job is engineering.
• Watch out for: hourly billing on an MVP whose scope is still moving, and design treated as a step before “the real work”.
When an MVP design studio makes sense
• You are pre-seed or seed and need a real, testable product fast.
• You are preparing a first raise and need something investors can see and understand.
• You don’t have a design system yet and development starts soon.
• With Figura you get a fixed scope, a fixed price and weekly reviews, then a handoff your developers can build from.
What Figura’s 6-week MVP design sprint includes
• Up to 50 high-fidelity, production-ready screens and UX flows
• A design system ready for developer handoff
• A clickable, testable prototype
• A 20-page pitch deck
• Optional $6,000 brand refresh
Frequently asked questions
Is a freelancer cheaper than a design studio for an MVP?
Often on the hourly rate, but you’re usually getting one person. Figura’s sprint is a fixed $12,000–$18,000 for a senior designer, an art director and a PM, so the cost is known before kickoff.
Can a dev shop design my MVP?
Many can, but they usually bill hours and focus on code. If your flows aren’t settled yet, designing first with a fixed scope can save you from paying to build the wrong thing.
Does Figura build the product too?
No. The sprint is design and handoff: production-ready screens and a design system your developers can build from. Engineers are looped in from week 3 so building can start right away.
How long does it take to design an MVP with a studio?
Figura’s sprint is six weeks from kickoff to handoff, with reviews every week.
Who is Figura’s sprint for?
Pre-seed and seed founders building a first MVP, preparing a first raise, or validating product–market fit.