User Focused Testing
Something that Enex TestLab has been passionate about for over 20 years now is considering the products ultimate end user, who should be the beneficiary of the technology. Involving them early in the testing phase and therefore ensuring that all of the products requirements have been captured. In turn enabling the developer/vendor/manufacturer to benefit from the increased returns delivered by creating and producing a truely usable product suitable for a wide range of end-users. Also reducing the risk of that product failing once released to the market. And increasing the goodwill associated with a product brand that is synonymous with desirable end-user characteristics, design, functionality and usability.
Too many times over the years we have seen vendors rush a product to market only to see it flounder due to clumsy interface design or poor testing practices which focus on the technology itself and not the intended users. Enex TestLab is regularly involved in remediation testing for projects that have come off the rails, websites through to hardware, that have been developed and tested by programmers and engineers to suit what they personally see fit for production. Never considering the potential thousands, or even millions of users that they may be alienating through poor testing. Problem is, what started as a great concept to benefit people quickly comes down to a poor product through this narrow minded approach that damages the company through poor sales, higher customer disatisfaction, increased helpdesk/call centre costs, and ultimately brand reputation damage. We have heard too many times; "we already know exactly what our market wants"!
Anyway, enough of this ranting and raving, as they say you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink. Here is a report put out by AP relating to Microsoft's focus on end-users and their design modifications in an attempt to bring usability and increased functionality to mainstream computer users. It is a fine balance to try and be everything to everyone while maintining individual end-users nuances and expectations, Julie Larson-Green at Microsoft definately has a challenging role.
http://tinyurl.com/czwg78
Matt Tett
Managing Director
Enex TestLab
Something that Enex TestLab has been passionate about for over 20 years now is considering the products ultimate end user, who should be the beneficiary of the technology. Involving them early in the testing phase and therefore ensuring that all of the products requirements have been captured. In turn enabling the developer/vendor/manufacturer to benefit from the increased returns delivered by creating and producing a truely usable product suitable for a wide range of end-users. Also reducing the risk of that product failing once released to the market. And increasing the goodwill associated with a product brand that is synonymous with desirable end-user characteristics, design, functionality and usability.
Too many times over the years we have seen vendors rush a product to market only to see it flounder due to clumsy interface design or poor testing practices which focus on the technology itself and not the intended users. Enex TestLab is regularly involved in remediation testing for projects that have come off the rails, websites through to hardware, that have been developed and tested by programmers and engineers to suit what they personally see fit for production. Never considering the potential thousands, or even millions of users that they may be alienating through poor testing. Problem is, what started as a great concept to benefit people quickly comes down to a poor product through this narrow minded approach that damages the company through poor sales, higher customer disatisfaction, increased helpdesk/call centre costs, and ultimately brand reputation damage. We have heard too many times; "we already know exactly what our market wants"!
Anyway, enough of this ranting and raving, as they say you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink. Here is a report put out by AP relating to Microsoft's focus on end-users and their design modifications in an attempt to bring usability and increased functionality to mainstream computer users. It is a fine balance to try and be everything to everyone while maintining individual end-users nuances and expectations, Julie Larson-Green at Microsoft definately has a challenging role.
http://tinyurl.com/czwg78
Matt Tett
Managing Director
Enex TestLab
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