---
layout: text/textblock
quote: Alpha is when you work out what to build. Beta stage is when you build it.
---

At the start of Beta stage, you take the prototype you agreed on at the end of Alpha stage and build a minimum viable product. You will release this service as a private beta.

The team will keep iterating the private beta as you test it in short rounds of user research. These rounds of feedback become shorter as you refine the product.

You keep running the private beta service until you are ready for the [private to public beta assessment](#releasing-the-private-beta-and-public-beta) against the Digital Service Standard. Then you’ll open it up as a public beta service that people can use alongside the existing service. As real users trial the new service you’ll keep testing it to find out how to improve it.

Once the public beta service has proven to be a better solution and it will go through the [Beta to Live assessment](#when-you-re-ready-to-move-on-to-live-stage) against the Digital Service Standard. If it passes you can move on to the Live stage where the public beta service will replace the existing live service.

The primary activities in Beta are:
- development
- design
- usability research
- accessibility testing
- metrics monitoring

These activities help you to:
- build your service and plan for its launch
- solve any remaining technical or process-related challenges
- improve your service by testing it with users and releasing updates

The team will keep updating the artefacts developed in the previous stages. This includes:
- vision
- user journey
- user story map
- decision register
- prototype

---
layout: text/textblock
quote: Alpha is when you work out what to build. Beta stage is when you build it.
---

At the start of Beta stage, you take the prototype you agreed on at the end of Alpha stage and build a minimum viable product. You will release this service as a private beta.

The team will keep iterating the private beta as they test it in short rounds of user research. These rounds of feedback become shorter as the team refines the product.

You keep running the private beta service until you are ready for the [private to public beta assessment](#releasing-the-private-beta-and-public-beta) against the Digital Service Standard. Then you’ll open it up as a public beta service that people can use alongside the existing service. As real users trial the new service you’ll keep testing it to find out how to improve it.

Once the public beta service has proven to be a better solution it will go through the [Beta to Live assessment](#when-you-re-ready-to-move-on-to-live-stage) against the Digital Service Standard. If it passes you can move on to the Live stage where the public beta service will replace the existing live service.

The primary activities in Beta are:
- development
- design
- usability research
- accessibility testing
- metrics monitoring

These activities help you to:
- build your service and plan for its launch
- solve any remaining technical or process-related challenges
- improve your service by testing it with users and releasing updates

The team will keep updating the artefacts developed in the previous stages. This includes:
- vision
- user journey
- user story map
- decision register
- prototype

Fix some typos from Sarah C’s proof
Fix some typos from Sarah C’s proof
