When creating good tours, it is advantageous to test continuously. In this article, you can get useful advice on how to test your tour alone and with users, as well as how to do it from Creator.
Test Alone
We recommend that you start by testing your tour alone. The point of testing alone is to optimize storytelling and guide the user between points (unless it is a Collection – read more about types).
Here is a method you can use when testing alone:
- Create a Dummy: If it's an audio tour, we recommend that you record the script with your phone. Your test should give an understanding of the tour's coherence and wayfinding between points, so the recording doesn't need to be perfect.
- Upload Everything in StoryHunt Creator: To get as close to the final product as possible, we recommend that you upload everything in Creator; titles, descriptions, audio, images (possibly in conjunction with audio), and quizzes, if you want to include them.
- Test the Tour in Reality: Once you have uploaded everything in Creator, it's time to put on your hiking boots. We recommend that you walk the entire tour from start to finish and take notes along the way. If the user has to walk between points, it is also important that the timing is right. Learn more about timing here.
The best Creators test and refine their tour many times, so don't despair if something needs to be changed – it's part of the process.
‍
Test with Users
Once you have tested your tour yourself and are satisfied, we recommend that you test with users. Often you will be surprised by where users get lost and what they find exciting in the stories.
Test subjects can be people you know, but they should not be familiar with your tour in advance. When testing with users, we have the following points of attention:
- Step Back: Remember that you should not tell them where to go, or show the way with your body language. You should stay in the background and observe.
- Pay Attention to Whether They Can Find the Way: Notice if they are in doubt about where to go or go the wrong way. Also pay attention to where they stand; some places are more natural to stand than others. It's not too late to change the location of the stories at this point, so remember to be open to this.
- Take Notes and/or Record Along the Way: It is a clear advantage to document along the way, so you can revisit observations and points later.
- Conduct an Interview at the End: When you have walked the tour, ask the user what they thought about the tour. Remember not to explain your choices – here you should only listen and ask interested questions.
- Take Time: It makes sense to time the stories and the distance between them, so you can get the timing right.
‍
Test Through Creator
When you want to test a tour, you can use the Preview function in StoryHunt Creator. You can find this both on the tour page and the editing page. Look for a button with Preview written on it.
Once you have tested your tour, and you are satisfied, it can be published. Learn more about the steps in how to create a tour.
