Guerrilla Usability: The act of providing usability advice without being asked and without compensation, especially when done to advance a worthy cause. (Allied with Guerrilla Ergonomics)
The term Guerrilla Usability was inspired by “Guerrilla Marketing” which has as a core element acting in ways that surprise and are unexpected. People don’t expect others to offer and volunteer their help. By doing so we may get the attention needed to open eyes and minds to possibilities for change.
Targets of Guerrilla Usability tend to be aligned with one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as addressing climate change and providing clean water to those without. Usability professionals with values contrary to the SDGs could also engage in Guerrilla Usability, in support of their contrary values, however it is unusual to find usability professionals with such contrary life values, who also would choose to give away their professional service.
Guerrilla Usability activists tend to have a grounding in Usability, Ergonomics or Human Factors (HFE) and believe that making a positive impact on the world is more important than making a profit. They are motivated by a desire to support the target of their focus to become more successful. We, Guerrilla Usability practitioners, focus on operations that have an important mission that could be advanced more effectively by addressing the usability of their platform.
My journey along the Guerrilla Usability path began while I had a full time job, and during my non-work time I would encounter websites or apps that were purpose driven and had gross usability short-comings. Then and now, as I use websites or apps, I sometimes recognize aspects of an interface or gaps in functionality that my Human Factors and Ergonomics professional usability perspective finds lacking. The UI (user interface) may be deceptive or ambiguous, thus hard to figure out or frustrating to use.
When I notice opportunities for improvement, I make notes documenting my experience and types of changes that may be helpful and grab a few screenshots. I send a note to the team or creator of the platform sharing my observations, concerns and sometimes suggestions, offering to continue the exploration is a discussion.
On some occasions they have reached out to me interested to learn more. I have had email and text exchanges, phone calls and zoom meetings. It’s fun! These interactions are stimulating, and leave me with a feeling that I am contributing in a useful way to something valuable.
There are cases when a practitioner may engage in Guerrilla Usability to achieve a personal desire, such as to improve the functionality of an app that they use or would like to use, but without alignment with an SDG, or other life positive value. This type of application is a non-primary meaning of Guerrilla Usability.
When doing Guerrilla Usability, I target platforms that I see as positive, and important for the world. My targets are applications that serve the needs of people, life and the planet, rather than being primarily a method to line the pockets of investors. The world today needs all the positive energy engagement that we can provide.
I encourage others to join me and engage in Guerrilla Usability. Hashtag: #GuerrillaUsability