Advisory
Product and Service Design
Turn your concept for a SaaS platform or a web, iOS or Android app into a product people want, with research, prototypes and a roadmap past launch, from the founders who will also build it.
Talk to the foundersWhat you get with Authect's product and service design
Good products start with the right questions: who is this for, what problem does it solve, and why would anyone choose it over what they use today? We help you answer them with real research and working prototypes, so you make product decisions on evidence instead of opinions, and balance what you need to launch soon with where you want the product to be later.
Design at Authect is never handed over a wall. The founders and the senior engineer who will lead the build sit in every design session, so what we draw is something we know how to deliver, on time and within budget. You leave with a validated concept, a technical plan and a roadmap your team can act on, and every file, prototype and design is yours from day one.
Three pillars
Three pillars of our design work
Most products need all three: something people love to use, a service that runs smoothly behind it, and a business model that makes it worth building.
Product design
We take your idea from concept to launch-ready: user flows, interface design and an interactive prototype, plus the architecture and technical feasibility checks that tell you it can be built. That includes MVP scope, an AI-assisted proof of concept where it helps, your value proposition, the customer segments you're designing for and a first product roadmap.
Service design
A great app can still sit inside a frustrating service. We map the full customer journey across digital, physical and human touchpoints, then draw service blueprints that connect what customers see with the people, processes and systems behind the scenes, so the whole experience works, not just the screens.
Business design
We test whether the idea makes business sense as well as user sense: revenue and pricing models, the costs and risks of building it, how you'll reach your first customers and what sets you apart. You get a clear view of viability before you commit serious budget to development.
How we work
How we help you build new products and transform existing ones
Whether you're starting from a new idea or fixing the bottlenecks in a product that's already live, we follow the same three steps: understand the problem, validate a solution with real users, then measure what happens after release.
Deliverables
What you get at the end of the design phase
Design work should leave you with more than pretty pictures. These are typical deliverables, chosen with you for each project, so your team, your investors or any development partner can pick them up and move forward.
Because the engineer who will lead development is part of the design phase, the architecture and estimates are realistic from the start, not a guess added at the end.
Customers and product
User and customer research
Interview findings, user models and a clear picture of the people you're designing for and what they need.
Value proposition
What your product promises, to whom, and why it beats the alternatives, written so the whole team can repeat it.
Problem statement and solution scope
The problem you're solving, the solution vision and a feature breakdown that separates the MVP from later releases.
Prototype or proof of concept
A clickable prototype or an AI-assisted working proof of concept, tested with real users.
Product metrics
The handful of numbers that will tell you whether the product is working once it's live.
Roadmap outline
The order in which features ship, with the reasoning behind each priority.
Software architecture
Architecture vision
How the product is structured and how it will grow, explained in plain language as well as diagrams.
System diagrams
System context, containers and components, so anyone joining the project understands how the pieces fit.
Quality attributes
The performance, security, availability and accessibility targets the product has to meet.
Technology stack and cloud approach
The languages, frameworks and cloud services we recommend, with the trade-offs behind each choice.
Project governance
Implementation plan
Milestones, releases and dependencies from the first sprint to launch.
Team composition
The skills the build needs and how the team is led, with a senior engineer accountable for delivery.
Estimates
Time and budget for the MVP and later phases, so you can plan funding with confidence.
Product lifecycle
Design is the first step of your product's lifecycle
Design is where the product is shaped, but we stay with you beyond it. The same founders and senior engineers can build, grow and support what we design together, so nothing gets lost between phases.
- 01
Design
Ideate a new product or rethink an existing one: research, prototypes, architecture and roadmap.
- 02
Development
Build the product, or modernise the one you have, in short sprints with working software every few weeks.
- 03
Growth
Measure how people use the product, test improvements and ship the features that move your metrics.
- 04
Maintenance
Keep the product fast, secure and up to date with monitoring, fixes and planned upgrades.
Customer feedback
Working with Authect transformed our digital infrastructure. Their engineering team delivered our complex trading algorithm platform two weeks ahead of schedule without sacrificing code quality or security compliance. The seamless communication and deep technical expertise made them a true strategic partner.
Dmitry SokolovHead of Product, FinTech SolutionsReady to turn your product idea into something people want to use?
Contact usOur process
Key elements of our design process
Four practices run through every design project, so you see real progress early and every decision ties back to what users and the business need.
AI-assisted proof of concept
Instead of stopping at static screens, we can build a working proof of concept during the design phase, with a real interface, front end and back-end logic. AI tools help us build it quickly, and a senior engineer reviews every line, so you can test features with users, show investors something that works and find technical risks before development starts.
Customer metrics
We agree with you how success will be measured before anything is designed: activation, retention, task completion, conversion or whatever matters most for your product. Those metrics shape the research, the prototype tests and the roadmap, so the design is judged on results, not taste.
Product assessment
For products that are already live, we review analytics, support tickets, user feedback and the product itself to find where people get stuck or drop off. You get a prioritised list of problems, each with its likely cause and the fix we recommend.
Product roadmapping
We turn research and business goals into a roadmap that shows what ships first, what comes later and why. It balances quick wins with long-term bets and stays a living document that we revisit with you as you learn from real users.
Workshops
Workshops that get your team aligned fast
Sometimes the quickest way forward is to get the right people together. We run focused workshops with your team, online or, later in a project, in person, each ending with clear decisions and next steps rather than a pile of sticky notes.
AI framing
Find where AI could genuinely help your product or operations, and where it wouldn't.
AI strategy
Prioritise AI opportunities by value, feasibility and risk, and plan the first steps.
AI product
Shape an AI-powered feature or product: the user problem, the data it needs and how to test it.
Technology consulting
Talk through architecture, stack and build-versus-buy choices with senior engineers.
Service blueprinting
Map a service end to end, front stage and back stage, and spot where it breaks.
Ideation
Generate and shortlist product ideas around a clear problem and a target user.
Roadmap prioritisation
Agree what to build first, using value, effort and evidence rather than the loudest voice.
Value proposition
Match what you offer to what customers need, and find the gaps worth closing.
Service benefits
What you can achieve with Authect's product design
- 01
Bring your product vision to life
Understand what your users really need, then design and validate a concept that stands out in your market, or prepare a well-founded pivot if the evidence points elsewhere.
- 02
Reimagine experiences that aren't working
If people give up on your product before they see its value, we find out why and redesign the journeys that lose them, so more users stay and grow with you.
- 03
Make confident, future-proof decisions
A product strategy that balances short-term goals with a long-term vision, backed by research and a roadmap, helps you say no to the wrong features and yes to the right ones.
- 04
Test your boldest ideas safely
Prototypes and proofs of concept let you try an ambitious idea with real users before you invest in building it, whether you're entering a new market or selling a new idea internally.
- 05
Get to market sooner
Validating early means fewer surprises in development. Combined with AI-accelerated delivery, it shortens the path from idea to a product people can use and investors can see.
- 06
Improve your customer experience
We look beyond the interface at every touchpoint your customers have with you, find the gaps and design a consistent experience across your product, service and support.
What we offer
Product and service design at Authect: what we offer
Pick the pieces you need, or let us shape a design engagement around your goals. Every one is led by the founders, with a senior engineer in the room.
Product ideation
Turn business goals and user insight into product ideas worth testing, with a clear concept and the reasoning behind it.
Customer experience strategy
A customer-centred strategy for engagement and retention, grounded in research and in how people actually behave.
Product roadmapping
A long-term product strategy with prioritised features and a practical plan for how to deliver them.
Business model and value proposition
Design and test business models and value propositions that fit your market and give you a real advantage.
Customer research and usability testing
Interviews, surveys and usability tests that confirm demand for your product and show where it's hard to use.
Explore the serviceInnovation workshops
Focused, hands-on sessions that tackle your biggest product questions and end with decisions, not just ideas.
Digital product audit
A clear-eyed review of an existing product or service to find bottlenecks, risks and new opportunities.
Explore the serviceSoftware architecture
An architecture vision that fits your product plans, with diagrams of how your systems connect and the stack to build on.
Accessibility and inclusion
We review and adapt your product so it works for people of all abilities, which widens your reach and reduces legal risk.
Have a product idea or a product that needs a rethink? Let's talk it through.
Contact usCase studies
Our product design success stories
Why Authect
Why design your product with Authect
- 01
Designers and builders in one room
The founders and the senior engineer who will build your product take part in design from day one, so every screen is something we know how to deliver.
- 02
Evidence over opinion
We test ideas with real users and agreed metrics before you invest in development, so decisions rest on what people do, not on what anyone assumes.
- 03
Your designs, your IP
Research, design files, prototypes and code belong to you from the start. You can build with us, with your own team or with anyone else.
Have an app or SaaS concept? Design it with the founders who will build it and plan what comes next.
Contact usHow we cooperate
Ways to work with us on design
Start with a fixed-price design phase that ends in a validated concept, carry on in monthly sprints as design and development run together, or keep improving a live product with support and evolution.
- 01
Fixed-price project
A clearly scoped product delivered for an agreed price and timeline. Ideal for MVPs and well-defined projects.
- Our responsibility:
- the scope, plan, budget, quality and delivery of the agreed product.
- Your responsibility:
- business context, timely feedback and sign-off on the scope.
- 02
Monthly sprints
A dedicated team, led by a senior engineer, working in short sprints, billed monthly. Ideal when your priorities evolve as you learn from users.
- Our responsibility:
- the team, sprint delivery, engineering quality and transparent reporting.
- Your responsibility:
- the product vision and setting priorities with us each sprint.
- 03
Support and evolution
After launch, we keep your product fast, secure and up to date, and keep shipping improvements as your business grows.
- Our responsibility:
- monitoring, updates, fixes and agreed response times.
- Your responsibility:
- reporting issues and planning the next improvements with us.
Insights
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FAQs
Product and service design FAQs
What is product and service design?
Product and service design shapes what you'll build, and how it will work as a business, before development starts. Product design covers user flows, interface design, prototypes and technical feasibility. Service design maps the whole customer journey and the people, processes and systems behind it. Business design tests pricing, costs, risks and how you'll reach your first customers. Most products need all three.
What do we get at the end of the design phase?
You get a validated concept, a technical plan and a roadmap your team can act on. Typical deliverables include user research, a value proposition, MVP scope, a clickable prototype or AI-assisted proof of concept tested with real users, product metrics, an architecture vision with system diagrams, a recommended stack, an implementation plan and estimates. Every file, prototype and design is yours.
How long does product design take?
It depends on how much research and validation your product needs, and whether you're starting from a new idea or rethinking a live product. We agree the scope and plan with you before we start, and you see progress early: prototypes or a proof of concept are tested with real users while changes still cost hours, not months.
How much does product design cost?
It depends on scope. Many clients start with a fixed-price design phase that ends in a validated concept, quoted after a free scoping conversation with the founders. That phase also produces time and budget estimates for the MVP and later phases, so you can plan funding with confidence. For a rough first idea of the build itself, try the software development cost calculator on our website.
What is an AI-assisted proof of concept?
It's a working version of your product's key features, built during design instead of stopping at static screens. It has a real interface, front end and back-end logic; AI tools help us build it quickly and a senior engineer reviews every line. You can test features with users, show investors something that works and find technical risks before development starts.
Can the same team build the product after design?
Yes, and that's the point. The founders and the senior engineer who will lead the build sit in every design session, so what we design is something we know how to deliver and the estimates are realistic from the start. The same team can then build, grow and support the product. If you'd rather build with your own team or another partner, the deliverables are written so anyone can pick them up.