If you’re looking for a method to get fast feedback on your prototypes, Guerrilla user testing takes the cake. It’s a technique that takes advantage of the audience that’s immediately available to you, by simply heading to the nearest cafe, park or communal space with your work in hand.
Designers and researchers can run interviews within that location by approaching people in the vicinity and produce instant qualitative feedback. Whilst it’s better to recruit participants who match your buyer persona, most of the people you meet will be an expert in using a device.
Not needing a lab, paperwork or recruitment makes guerrilla UX testing extremely lean and agile.
Guerrilla user testing is perfect for:
- Frequent tests throughout the design process due to its low-cost impact
- Testing user experience and identifying potential usability issues early on in the process
- Gathering first impressions of your product to see if users understand the value
- Not needing prior experience or knowledge in order to navigate the prototype
- Running alongside broader usability testing methods which produce more metric driven results
But it’s not suitable for all scenarios
Even though guerrilla testing is a great option for quick validation of designs there are a few examples where you would want to consider an alternative testing option.
If your prototype covers sensitive topics such as health, relationships, sex or money, approaching users in public may cause inaccuracies. You won’t have a lot of time to build rapport with your participants or to provide context, plus conducting the research in a public space is more likely to make them feel uncomfortable and produce unrealistic answers and reactions.
Try to avoid testing where your users need to have knowledge around a topic as this will effect the quality of research. For example, testing an accounting product might need participants to understand how tax is calculated or what general ledgers are, which won’t be common knowledge in your local cafe.
Guerrilla testing is designed to be fast and instant. If you’re testing a feature that you need to spend awhile explaining and then the test itself is more than 15 mins you’re probably going to lose your audience. You’re already interrupting their day in order to gain these insights so make sure it’s short and snappy to make the best use of everybody’s time.
Answer key questions about your designs with Marvel
Marvel prototypes are ideal for guerrilla testing sessions as you can test on the go with our iOS app or on a desktop, with feedback recorded through audio and video. You can turn your prototypes into user clicks in minutes and immediately start sharing with your participants. This feedback will enable you to understand your users and improve designs to meet your goals.
Some examples of the questions you can answer through Marvel User Testing:
- Can a user understand the benefits of the product in this advert?
- How long does it take a user to find their account details?
- What information is missing when purchasing an item on your site?
- What do users expect to happen or see when they click buttons in your product?
- Can key tasks be completed without any unanswered questions?
Gaining user feedback on mobile
If you’re testing a mobile prototype or are out and about on the street, our iOS app will be the best option to take your test.
Here’s how:
- Select ‘Create project’ > 'User Test’ from your desktop
- Enter the test name, the prototype you’re testing and decide between ‘Free Roam’ or ‘Goal’ as your test type
- Head to the iOS app and select the purple camera icon
- Select ‘Options’ > ‘Start a new test’
- Your participant will be asked to enter their name and email and to enable the microphone, video and screen
- Click the red stop button to the end test or it will end automatically if you selected ‘Goal’ as your test type and the goal screen has been reached
Using your desktop to capture insights
When set up in cafe or in a shared workspace you can start tests from your browser and sit with the participant as they take the test. Ideal for asking them questions throughout the session or watching as they interact with your product.
Here’s how:
- Select ‘Create project’ > 'User Test’ from your desktop
- Enter the test name, the prototype you’re testing and decide between ‘Free Roam’ or ‘Goal’ as your test type
- Select ‘Start a test’ on the top right
- Your participant will be asked to enter their name and email and to enable the microphone and video
- Click the red stop button to the end test or it will end automatically if you selected ‘Goal’ as your test type and the goal screen has been reached
Once you’ve collected all of your test recordings you’ll be able to play them back and review the mistaps, goal completion rate, and listen to the participants’ feedback so you won’t miss any insights.
Hope this gave you some ideas on how you can capture rapid feedback no matter where you are, and with whatever budget. Create your first user test today to get started! Marvel User Testing is available to all plans.
