Guerilla user testing is a low cost method of user testing. The term ‘guerilla’ refers to its ‘out in the wild’ style, in the fact that it can be conducted anywhere eg cafe, library, train station etc, essentially anywhere where there is significant footfall. [...] Guerilla testing works well to quickly validate how effective a design is on its intended audience, whether certain functionality works in the way it is supposed to, or even establishing whether a brand or proposition is clear.

This approach is quick and relatively easy to set up. Participants are not recruited but are ‘approached’ by those persons conducting the sessions. The sessions themselves are short, typically between 15-30 minutes and are loosely structured around specific key research objectives. The output is typically ‘qualitative’ so insight is often rich and detailed.

Anyone on the service team can conduct ‘guerilla testing’ on their site or service but often the best scenario is for a researcher to run the sessions with the designer or developer. The researcher can help with defining the tasks, moderating the sessions as well as provide a level of ‘objectivity’ by not being the person who designed or built what is being evaluated. Involving the designer / developer in the sessions enables them to see first hand ‘real’ people interacting with their product, where there are areas for improvement and how they might go about resolving any issues.

This approach also does away with any lengthy reporting back. Insights can be observed, taken away and fed back into the design process almost immediately. However, a brief summary with key findings and recommendations can be written up as a more formal record. It is a method that suits the ‘agile framework’ well.