Web app to MVP

Advising and Steering an MVP from Offshore Build to iOS Release

Client: Objective Corporation
Role: UX Advisor & Product Liaison
Project Type: MVP via External Contractor

Overview

Objective Connect is a secure document-sharing and collaboration platform. To accelerate delivery, the company outsourced the mobile app’s initial build to an overseas contractor. I was brought in to represent UX across the lifecycle – guiding the contractor’s designs, aligning the MVP with user and business needs, and testing the output before release.

Oversight at every stage helped ensure a consistent, usable mobile experience.

The Challenge

  • Design and build an MVP via an external vendor, working from the web version
  • Translate a complex, security-first web platform into a usable iOS app
  • Manage expectations across stakeholders while preserving core UX quality
  • Deliver under tight timelines, limited scope, and lean internal resources

My Role

  • Defined and scoped initial requirements with the Product Manager
  • Represented user needs in specs, user stories, and design critiques
  • Reviewed and approved contractor deliverables at multiple stages
  • Tested with internal SMEs and external users to surface real-world issues
  • Advised on backlog priorities, future enhancements, and vendor selection

Design Approach

Understanding Needs

  • Interviewed users to differentiate mobile vs. desktop use
  • Created and debated MVP specs with PM and BA
  • Recruited testers to validate early designs and refine priorities

Exploration & Oversight

  • Led UX critique of contractor designs and wireframes
  • Flagged usability issues and misalignments early
  • Ensured design assets matched platform guidelines and brand consistency
  • Represented the user voice in demos and showcases
Vendor deliverables were continuously critiqued for quality and consistency.

Testing & Refinement

  • Validated app with internal SMEs and select end users
  • Rolled feedback into backlog for post-release updates
  • Reviewed incremental feature updates
  • Supported recruitment for future UX capability

Outcomes

  • Successful release of the first Objective Connect mobile app
  • Retained core functionality of the responsive web app, adapted for mobile use
  • Improved internal understanding of how to manage UX in outsourced builds
  • Positioned future versions to better integrate user feedback and native patterns
The iOS designs directly reflected the responsive web app built on my design system and corporate palette

Reflection

This project wasn’t about full control – it was about influence. Representing the user in an outsourced build taught me how to guide quality without micromanagement, defend priorities, and still deliver something meaningful. It reinforced that UX can lead even when it’s not in the driver’s seat – if it shows up with clarity and purpose.