How to test a concept game during the quarantine.
Let’s say you created a card game to help community managers and event organizers generate ideas for their activities. And you want to test it. The only thing is that everyone has to stay at home. Here’s what you should do:
Spread the appealing invitation to the Zoom meeting. Remember, the event is not a presentation of your project. It is a possibility for the participants to learn something, which will be valuable for their activities. It is important to put what value your event and methods that you present create for your audience. We dedicated our event to the games as a method, with a part dedicated to the specific game that we develop during I_Improve.
Address the right audience. Put clearly whom the event is addressed to. This one was addressed to the community leaders, events managers, and curators.
Reach the audience. Besides the event on Facebook and other channels, we invited our partners to spread the invitation. Choose channels carefully: check the groups, use your partner’s mailing lists, reconnect with participants of your previous events.
Make sure everyone registered for the event. If your report requires a list of participants, it’s better to get them in advance. Ask them to fill in their email address, name of the organization, their names in Google form, or Zoom meeting participants registration.
Collect feedback. If you want to test with an audience, you need to make them part of this game. Even if they cannot touch the game, you need to provoke their imagination. Brainstorm ideas for the use of this game, ask how they would use it. What rules they would write for this.
Be grateful. People who spent their time to help your project to improve deserve something more than thank you. We announced we are ready to cooperate with curators, communities, and cultural managers who took part in the event.