How to launch an MVP platform for online psychologist consultations in 4 months and then scale the project. GSR сase

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Client’s idea — create a separate platform for finding GSR specialists

It might seem surprising that we are discussing a psychological methodology in a development case study 🙂 But our task is to immerse you in the project’s context to understand what we were working on. So, let’s talk a bit about the GSR method.

The GSR methodology aims to work with negative feelings and attitudes that cause self-doubt and a lack of confidence. The main goal is to help a person succeed in various areas of life and find harmony.

When our client learned about the methodology, he was so inspired that he learned GSR himself and became a practicing specialist, despite having worked in game development for many years. He still develops games, and GSR is his hobby.

He wanted the method to become more popular but saw some obstacles preventing this:

Then, the client had an idea: create a separate platform with a catalog of GSR specialists and add an appointment booking option. This would help balance the client flow, for example, by attracting attention to less popular specialists through discounts and automating all communication.

The client didn’t want to create an overly complex platform. He understood that a simple online service with search and booking functions would be enough to test the idea. The main thing was that it should be convenient and liked by both psychologists and clients. More complex and expensive features could be developed later.

He started looking for a team that would understand this request well and wouldn’t convince him that he needed a complicated web application with many different features.

The client learned about Purrweb after reading an article from our blog. He became interested, looked at our development services, and saw that we specialize in creating MVPs. This was exactly what he needed 🙂

The client liked our development approach: within 4 months and $40,000, we created an MVP that was nothing superfluous and tested the idea.

He contacted us, we discussed his project and then we started development. The client initially considered only the outsourcing development option — he saw no point in assembling an in-house team to create the MVP.

Developed an MVP from scratch

We had to:

• • Develop an MVP version of the web application with basic functions: viewing the catalog of specialists, choosing a psychologist, and booking a session (without payment);
  • Create a unique and modern design that appeals to the target audience (young people from the digital and IT spheres, interested in self-discovery and psychology);
  • Develop the simplest possible user journey, so the client can perform the target action in a few clicks;
  • Make screen adaptations for smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

The platform’s flow was supposed to have two roles: client and specialist. The actions available to them were different, so we had to think through two user journeys.

The work on the MVP platform consisted of several stages: design, development, and testing. We won’t go into detail about each of them, but we will outline the main steps in general terms, focusing on the key aspects.

User interface and experience design

At this stage, we thought through the application logic and all the steps a user goes through to solve their tasks. We captured the flow in a BPMN diagram. It consists of flowcharts and accurately reflects business processes.

Then, we started designing the UI/UX. First, we created black-and-white wireframes to show how we planned to place elements on the screens. After approving them with the client, we started developing the actual design.

Created a UI kit

Then, we worked on the design concept and UI kit which included a ready-made set of user interface elements — colors, fonts, and buttons.

We used the Manrope font. It has high-quality Cyrillic characters and many styles, which makes it excellent for working comfortably with typography. It’s convenient to use for development and easy to connect. And it’s free, saving the client’s budget.

We adhered to simplicity in execution: the client valued laconic details. But not at the expense of visual appeal 🙂 We love this approach — the main thing is that the design doesn’t grab all the user’s attention and helps solve tasks faster.

We chose purple as the main color. It’s a very self-sufficient color that doesn’t need additional support.

The shades of purple we selected look good on different devices — from a computer monitor to a smartphone screen. They don’t fade or become “dirty” — dull and expressionless.

We decided to use a purple gradient for elements that need to catch the user’s attention first. For example, for banners with a call to action.

Instead of illustrations, we used emojis. This option fits well into the concept of modern design which is close to a young audience.

Started development and testing

After agreeing on the design with the client, we began developing the web application. Everything was classic here: we worked on the frontend and backend.

The frontend is responsible for displaying the interface and user interaction, while the backend handles data processing and business logic. We used our usual stack — React.js and Nest.js.

At the final stage, we tested the functionality of all platform elements, from registration and session scheduling to reviews and account management.

The client suggested we adhere to a simple approach — not waste time on complex custom developments and use ready-made libraries and design systems. We agreed with this!

Following this rule, we developed an MVP web application in 4 months, meeting the deadlines and budget.

Created a landing page

The client needed to attract new users, including from cold audiences. To solve this problem, we designed a landing page. The main goal of the landing page is to encourage the user to take a target action. In this case, it’s to book the first session.

The landing page is a marketing tool, and it’s important that its design addresses objections and helps the user take the target action without unnecessary steps.

We highlighted the main message on the homepage and emphasized a button with a clear call to action — choose a specialist.

It’s important to engage the user, so we highlighted the value further down the landing page structure: what the person will get if they start working with a GSR specialist.

We clearly showed how to book a session in five steps. The main thing is to explain to the user how simple and convenient it is to take action. A complicated selection and booking flow can scare them away — definitely not what we aim for 🙂

And if the person still has doubts? We explained what result they would get.

By the way, we created a guide on making effective landing pages: explaining what structure a good landing page should have and discussing the most common mistakes everyone makes when designing it. Spoiler: there are also tips on how to avoid them — be sure to check them out!

Platform: user paths

The client registers and then fills out a questionnaire — to match with a specialist. We made it as simple as possible, just choose from the prepared answers. Our goal is to get to the session for as many people as possible, and a complicated and overloaded questionnaire would scare them away.

The user can independently choose a specialist among all the psychologists presented on the service, using the following parameters: work experience, level of expertise, or session cost.

The platform also has content — articles and videos from specialists that form the user’s feed.

The client was satisfied with the result. The product met the main requirement. It was simple and convenient.

All that remained was to see how users and GSR specialists would react to the platform. If everyone liked it, the client planned to expand its functions.

And if not, anyway, developing the MVP was cheaper than creating a full-fledged service with complex logic and structure right away.

New vision and tasks of the platform

After some time, the client came back for further development of the web application. The service had proven itself well, so it was clear that investing in its development and expanding its features was worthwhile.

But now, the overall concept of the platform and business model had changed, and the client came back with a new vision.

At the MVP stage, the platform was focused on the interaction between the client and the specialist. Now, the task was to increase the conversion of clients into practitioners.

It was necessary to attract people to learn the GSR method and help them grow as specialists.

GSR has a level system: from beginners doing sessions for themselves to professionals working with other specialists. The platform should become the entry point for a person and help them go through this journey — from a client to a GSR practitioner.

The client suggested creating a new hierarchy of roles on the platform: beginners practitioners, experts, and curators. The platform was supposed to become an ecosystem meeting the needs of GSR practitioners at different levels:

• • Beginners — help in learning the methodology
  • Experts — have all the data about their sessions and activities
  • Curators — monitor the progress of their mentees

Therefore, the client asked us to develop an admin panel, a database of clients and specialists as well as an infrastructure with informational dashboards.

We needed to consider that informational dashboards for different specialists should be displayed differently.

For example, this is how a dashboard looks like for a specialist who conducts sessions with clients. Here all data about their activity is collected — you can see the session schedule, symptoms the specialist worked with, closed symptoms of clients, and statistics about publications on the portal.

The dashboard allows you to manage actions on the platform, such as adding a new article or switching to the session tracker.

We decided to reuse the existing design and UI kit. This significantly reduced the time and costs of creating new interfaces.

How monetization on the GSR platform works

Importantly, the web application is completely free for clients and beginner practitioners. The monetization model is structured differently. Experienced specialists and experts pay for access to the web application infrastructure — to get listed in the catalog and manage their activities.

GSR also offers training and professional development courses, which are currently sold through a third-party service. The GSR platform does not take a percentage for conducted sessions, making it more attractive for specialists.

Result

We implemented all the basic functions to ensure the stable operation of the platform and brought the project to completion. Currently, it is used by dozens of GSR practitioners and clients.

While working on the GSR platform, we constantly added new functions and removed some. For example, we completely changed the registration flow. The project scope was very flexible, and we had to be adaptable.

We were ready for this, for long-term projects, this is a common story because the needs of the client, end users, or stakeholders change.

On the project, we showed initiative — our developers constantly looked for the best technical solutions to optimize the platform’s performance.

This is one of those cases where we built a long-term relationship with the client and improved the product together.

If you need to develop an MVP, fill out the form to contact us. We will listen carefully to your idea, share our experience, and estimate the costs and timelines.

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