What is Bug Bash?

Ever thought about the nitty-gritty that goes into crafting top-notch software? The spot-on placement of buttons, eye-catching color themes, a slew of features, and lightning-fast page loads - all these factors combine to create a digital experience that grabs your attention right off the bat.

Sure, a ton of hard work and know-how is poured into molding a website or app to deliver the look, feel, and functionality you want. But, even the most high-tech software or website isn’t bulletproof when it comes to bugs or glitches.

Bugs, somehow, always manage to sneak into the final product. A perfect example is when TikTok experienced a glitch that displayed incorrect follower counts to users. That’s why software and apps need constant bug fixes to perform at their best.

Bug bash is a killer technique that taps into the collective skills and efforts of an entire organization to dig up a whole bunch of bugs in a software product in a short amount of time. This method is super effective in spotting bugs related to product engineering, performance, and security.

A bug bash is a unified and team-oriented event that targets to uncover as many glitches and bugs as possible in a software product within a set time period. A bug bash can be viewed as a hackathon for the entire organization or participating teams.

Even though it’s an event centered on software QA, it typically includes people from various roles and departments, such as developers, testers, designers, product managers, marketers, and even top brass. This cross-departmental teamwork guarantees a variety of viewpoints and skills, resulting in a more thorough assessment of the software product.

A bug bash can help you amp up exploratory and ad-hoc testing. It’s like team testing on steroids. It can be super effective in getting a ton done in a short amount of time.

Here are some objectives of a bug bash:

• A bug bash is a quick way to find and fix many bugs.
• It uses the diverse skills and roles of the participants to find issues that might have been missed by the main testing team.
• It helps create a culture of excellence in your organization, with everyone involved in testing and giving feedback.
• It helps everyone in your organization learn more about the product and what customers need or expect.
• It improves communication between teams as people work together to fix bugs and have fun doing it.

That’s a great question. Before we dive into this, let’s make one thing crystal clear. A bug bash isn’t a substitute for regular software testing and QA processes, but rather a supplementary method that can boost quality assurance efforts.

These differences might seem minor and even interconnected, but they function very differently in practice and are extremely effective in guaranteeing software quality in their own unique ways.

Let’s look into what makes a bug bash different from your existing QA processes:

• Bug bash is more exploratory and flexible, while the usual QA processes are more systematic and planned. Bug bash lets participants test the product in various ways and situations, without following a fixed test plan or script.
• Bug bash is more collaborative and inclusive, while the usual QA processes are more specialized and isolated. Bug bash brings people from different roles and backgrounds together, who can share their perspectives and feedback on product quality, usability, and value. It also creates a quality culture in the organization, where everyone is responsible and involved in product improvement.
• Bug bash is more time-bound and focused, while the usual QA processes are more continuous and iterative. Bug bash is conducted within a short or fixed period. It usually lasts 60 or 90 minutes. In some cases, it may last for days or even a week. It’s generally conducted before a big release or milestone and targets the most critical and urgent bugs.  On the other hand, the usual QA processes ensure the overall quality and reliability of the product throughout the development and testing cycle.

A bug bash is an efficient method to evaluate your software product or features with a variety of people who hold different positions within the organization. However, it’s not as straightforward as you might think. Thorough planning and preparation are necessary.

Since it's a strategically planned event, the invites for bug bash should be sent to the concerned people a week or two weeks before for the attendees to prepare beforehand. This duration may vary or change as per the planning or requirements. Here are the main steps you need to take to conduct a bug bash:

Step 1: Set Up Objectives and Success Metrics

Decide and define what features or products you want to test, what goals and requirements you have for the bug bash, and what quality standards you expect from the product or feature. The entry and exit strategies must be clearly defined. Since it is a time-bound event, these metrics can help to get things done without getting stuck.

For Example:

• You want to test a new feature of your e-commerce website that allows customers to create and share wish lists.
• Your goal is to find and fix any major bugs that affect the functionality and usability of the feature.
• Your entry strategy is to have a stable build of the website with the feature enabled.
• Your exit strategy is to have a list of bugs sorted by priority and assigned to the developers.

Step 2: Create a Time Frame and Schedule for Events

Bug bash events usually last 60 minutes to 90 minutes. Some organizations conduct bug bash for days. You can communicate a time limit and schedule for the bug bash, which can vary depending on the scope and complexity of the product or feature. The schedule should include the start and end times, the breaks, the checkpoints, the updates, and the feedback sessions.

Example:

You decide to conduct your bug bash for 90 minutes from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM.

You communicate the time and date to the participants via email and calendar invite. You also create a schedule for the bug bash, that includes:

• 10:00 AM - 10:10 AM: Introduction and overview of the feature and the bug bash
• 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM: Testing session, where participants test the feature and report the bugs
• 11:00 AM - 11:10 AM: Break
• 11:10 AM - 11:20 AM: Checkpoint, where the moderator updates the participants on the progress and the issues found
• 11:20 AM - 11:30 AM: Feedback session, where the participants share their feedback and suggestions on the feature and the bug bash

Step 3: Invite Participants and Assign Roles

Invite and assign roles to the people who will join the bug bash, such as developers, testers, product owners, designers, customers, or users. You also need to explain their responsibilities.

Here are the key roles in a bug bash with examples:

• Moderator: To organize and lead the bug bash.      

Example: You

• Participants: To test the product or feature and report the bugs.                                        

Example: Group together some dozen colleagues, including testers, developers, and designers

• Stager: To set and maintain the testing environment.      

Example: One of the developers can be a stager.

• Triager: To review and prioritize the bugs and assign them to the developers.  

Example: One of the developers can be a triager.

Step 4: Prepare Test Cases and Scenarios

Create and define scenarios for testing, based on how the customers or users will use the product or feature. These scenarios will help cover the main functionalities and features of the product or feature.

Test scripts must be pre-written to guide the participants to perform the testing scenarios. Some exploratory testing must also be defined, where the participants can test the product or feature in different ways and situations.

Example:

You create and define the following scenarios for testing the wish list feature:

• Scenario 1: Create a wish list and add items to it.
• Scenario 2: Edit a wish list and remove items from it.
• Scenario 3: Share a wish list with others via email or social media.
• Scenario 4: View and access a shared wish list.

Step 5: Decide on Resources and Tools for Testing

It’s best to make sure that all the resources and tools for testing are available and easy to use. This includes the product or feature you’re testing, the testing environment, the bug tracking system, the bug reporting tools and template, the scenarios and scripts, the testing devices, the testing data, and any other relevant info or docs you might need.

Example:

• The product or feature: The e-commerce website with the wish list feature enabled
• The testing environment: A staging server that hosts the website and allows the participants to access it
• The bug tracking system: A tool that allows the participants to log and track the bugs they find, such as Jira or Asana
• The bug reporting tools and template: A tool that allows the participants to capture and share screenshots and videos of the bugs, such as BetterBugs, and a template that specifies the format and the information to include in the bug reports, such as the title, description, steps to reproduce, expected and actual results, severity, and priority.
• The scenarios and scripts: A document that contains the scenarios and scripts for testing the feature, which is shared with the participants via email or cloud storage.

Step 6: Set Guidelines For Bug Reporting

During the bug bash, you can stick to the schedule and the guidelines, kicking off with a quick intro and overview. Ask participants to test the product or feature and report any bugs they find using the bug-reporting tools and templates, along with a few guidelines.

For Example:

• Do not report duplicate bugs, check the bug tracking system before reporting a new bug.
• Do not report minor or cosmetic bugs, focus on the major or functional bugs
• Do not fix the bugs during the bug bash, leave them for the developers to fix after the bug bash.

Read More: How to Report a Bug

Pre-Session for Bug Bash

Let’s break down the exact steps session-wise for bug bash starting up with the pre-session.

• Define Objectives: Clearly outline the goals and objectives of the Bug Bash.
• Communication Plan: Establish clear communication channels to notify team members about the upcoming Bug Bash.
• Schedule Adequately: Choose a suitable time slot that accommodates the availability of important team members.
• Environment Readiness: Confirm that the testing environment is set up and mirrors the production environment.
• Training and Onboarding: Conduct a brief training session or provide resources to refresh participants on testing processes and tools. Onboard any new team members or stakeholders who may join the Bug Bash.
• Bug Reporting and Tracking System: Verify that the bug reporting and tracking system is in place and accessible to all participants. Ensure that participants are familiar with the bug-reporting process.
• Test Data and Scenarios: Prepare a set of test data and predefined scenarios to guide participants during the Bug Bash.
• Encourage Collaboration: Set the tone for a collaborative environment by emphasizing the importance of teamwork.

Post-Session for Bug Bash

Now let’s look at the things to keep in check for the post-session for Bug Bash.

• Bug Triage: Conduct a thorough review and triage of the reported bugs. Prioritize issues based on severity and impact on the software.
• Documentation: Document the bug bash findings, including the number of bugs reported, resolved, and pending.
• Feedback Session: Organize a feedback session to gather insights from participants. Identify any challenges faced and discuss improvements for future bug bashes.
• Bug Resolution: Collaborate with developers to resolve reported bugs promptly. Verify fixes and ensure that the software is back to a stable state.
• Knowledge Sharing: Share the bug bash results and key learnings with the team.
• Continuous Improvement: Reflect on the bug bash process and identify areas for improvement. Implement changes to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of future Bug Bashes.
• Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledge the efforts of participants and express appreciation for their contributions. Consider recognizing outstanding performers or teams during the bug bash.

Read More: Top 10 Bug Tracking Tools to Look for in 2024

Bug bash events are key to spotting and fixing software glitches, and the success of these events hinges largely on effective communication and teamwork among the various teams involved.

BetterBugs comes into play as a handy tool, offering quicker bug-reporting workflows that could aid in speedy debugging. It’s crucial to use a tool that everyone can easily handle. BetterBugs fits the bill perfectly. Let’s explore how BetterBugs can add value during a bug bash:

• You can easily take screenshots and record videos of the bugs in action along with developer-friendly information about the issue that can be shared in a few clicks.
• With the ability to create precise bug reports, BetterBugs accelerates the bug reporting and management process. It's much faster than traditional methods.
• It facilitates the instant sharing of bug reports with detailed information such as console logs, network data, and system information. This enables developers to visualize, observe, and reproduce bugs more effectively, leading to faster debugging and issue resolution.
• It can be easily integrated with project management tools like Jira, GitHub, Asana, and many more so that you don’t have to worry about pasting the bug reports manually.
• BetterBugs has zero learning curve making it a very handy and excellent tool to be used in Bug Bash events for reporting issues to developers.