Bug Bash

A Bug Bash is a focused and most often time-boxed event where a diverse group of people, which includes roles like developers, testers, product owners, designers and even folks from support or marketing, all come together to try and find as many bugs as they can in a piece of software.

Think of it as a concentrated effort of testing where, the more eyes you have on the product or application, the more likely you are to uncover issues or edge cases that might otherwise go undetected. The aim is not just to find bugs, but also to build a greater shared understanding of the software's quality throughout the wider team. It also allows teams to get different viewpoints on potential problems or usability.

Sometimes there can be a bit of friendly competition involved, maybe even some prizes for finding the most fun, silly or the most critical bugs. It is all about getting everyone involved in making the software better.

Generally a facilitator will be the central point for reporting findings and collating information. A facilitator can ask individuals to do certain tasks, follow user journeys or even hand out exploratory test charters or goals. While there is no single definitive way of running a bug bash the primary task of a diverse group swarming software is present no matter how they are run.

Bug bashes enhance collaboration, provide diverse perspectives on your product, and help build and reinforce quality culture. A bug bash usually looks something like this:

Another way to test in a larger group is to have a bug bash. During a bug bash, lots of people from different disciplines come together in the same space (or call) to test the same system. Bugs can be called out instantly, domain experts can clarify questions immediately, and lots of feedback can be gathered quickly. Usually with a moderator or facilitator collecting the points raised, so there are fewer duplicates and everyone else can focus on testing. It’s really interesting to see how priorities and testing techniques differ, and ideas bounce and grow.

Bug bashes can be a really fun format which helps to boost morale, and they’re great for getting a lot of testing done quickly, for example, before a significant planned release. If you’re holding a bug bash ahead of a big release or feature launch, you can also theme your bug bashes towards those goals and assign different personas, to give it more fun and focus.