Beta stage

In Beta stage you focus on building the minimum viable product that you defined at the end of Alpha stage.

The minimum viable product (MVP) is the simplest thing you can build that meets the user need.

In Beta stage, the team builds an end-to-end service based on what they have learned in Alpha stage. They keep iterating until it is ready to test in a Private Beta release and then a Public Beta release.

You will keep testing the service with users in Private Beta and then Public Beta.

# What to do in Beta stage

# Development

Your team should be using agile delivery practices:

• continuous integration and delivery
• test-drive development
• automation
• incremental design
• pair programming.

You should be using our design system.

# Privacy and security

Comply with privacy legislation and principles.

Test and verify the security of your services.

# Design

Understand and design for the end-to-end user journey.

# Usability research

Test how usable the service is with your users as you’re developing it.

# Accessibility testing

You will need to run regular accessibility research sessions with people with diverse needs, such as ability, age, literacy and numeracy.

# Metrics monitoring

Performance metrics are sources of information that can help you find out whether your service is meeting user needs. They make sure that the decisions you make to improve your service are based on data.

Examples of metrics include completion rate and cost per transaction.

# Private Beta

You’ll start out in Private Beta. This involves inviting a limited number of people to use your service so you can get feedback and improve it.

Private Beta allows you to:

• have more control over the type of user that gets to use the Beta service
• restrict the volume of transactions that go through the Beta service
• start small and get quick feedback before releasing the service out to a wider audience.

# Public Beta

Once you’ve improved the service and are confident you can run it at scale, you move into Public Beta.

Public Beta is when you open up your service to anyone who needs it.

# Finishing Beta stage

Your service is ready to move on to the Live stage when you are sure:

• it meets user needs and delivers the full end-to-end user journey
• you can support it and you will be able to keep iterating and improving it until it’s retired.

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