Software Testing is All About Ideas (and How to Generate Them)

“What’s the optimal packaging shape for a pizza, considering all the relevant aspects?” I presented this question to the aspirant after pointing to the three shapes (Circle, Pentagon, and Square) illustrated on the paper.

With a professional history of 2.5 years in Software Testing, the applicant anticipated questions regarding testing, such as Priority vs. Severity nuances, and the ultimate Bug Life Cycle. After pondering, the aspirant answered that they believed all three shapes were apt for pizza packaging.

Despite considerations like expense, safety, and delivery, the applicant’s response remained unaltered. Thus concluded the interview.

Across almost a decade of my Software Testing occupation, I have led more than 100 interviews. My approach, believe it or not, has remained consistent. Even as an interviewer novice, I was clear on what kind of people I wanted in my team.

In my view, software testing extends beyond simply mastering a language and applying it. It’s more nuanced, and that’s what sets it apart. A competent Software Tester should be proficient in constantly generating fresh thoughts. Testing isn’t just about conducting predefined test procedures and producing pass and fail reports.

Software Testing plays a pivotal role in the project cycle, focusing on quality assurance and enhancement. Given this massive accountability, self-assessment becomes imperative. In this scenario, assessment pertains to fostering and enlarging the brain’s ability to formulate novel ideas.

Why is Creativity Needed in Software Testing?

What’s the reason? Allow me to elucidate:

#1) Understanding the Product by Testing

Comprehending what should be tested ties more importance than the testing method itself. It encompasses getting a grip on the product’s functionalities, acknowledging its capacities and shortcomings, and ultimately finding correlations between the product and day-to-day items.

For instance, I frequently draw parallels between the application/product under testing and common objects, such as a knife, car, table, wallet, or coffee mug. Associating different areas of the application with parts of the related objects eases my path to brainstorm varying testing strategies.

For clarity, let’s assume I have to test the website Google.com. Now let’s equate it to a table.

• Google.com’s primary feature is its search engine, much like a table’s stability due to its four legs.
• The array of options on Google.com, such as Web, News, Images, Video, and Map, are comparable to the table’s legs.
• Just like tables are primarily utilized to hold or support items, Google.com is predominantly used for searching.
• To verify the table’s main feature – its hold or support – we might place objects with varied characteristics like lightweight paper, a 10kg box, a hot plate, a chilly milk glass, or even something greasy. Similarly, Google.com should be searched using a wide array of terms, such as words, alphanumeric characters, special characters, full sentences, two-letter words, and unlimited other prospects.

The overarching concept here is to find correlations between the application and real-life items, subsequently facilitating the generation of diverse testing ideas. Nevertheless, it necessitates initial idea creation to establish these correlations. 🙂

#2) Executing the Product Test

Frequently while testing the product, we depend upon predefined test cases and confine our imagination to those ideas formed during test case formulation. This strategy is flawed!

You cannot create ideas collectively at one go. The more you contemplate the product in realistic scenarios, the more ideas will emanate.

Let’s review an analogy – suppose you are testing Google.com and have likened it to a table. You’ve generated test ideas and documented them as test cases or scenarios. Now, persistently find relations of the product with whatever you are doing.

For instance, during my water break, I equated Google.com to a glass and noticed that disposable glasses can have multiple applications:

• Containing liquids (hot or cold),
• Playtime (kids love stacking them and creating varied structures),
• Making art pieces (I’ve seen numerous artworks made with disposable glasses),

Similarly, Google.com can help access several Google features such as Gmail, Google+, calendar, and more, and it can support various languages.

The crux here is to spawn ideas about product usability and explore its extremity. Grasping the product/application usage would demand thinking like an end-user in a variety of situations, keeping their convenience, comfort, and needs in mind.

#3) Reporting Errors and their Tracking

How should you respond to a developer/manager who shrugs off a reported bug or doesn’t recognize it as an ERROR? The answer is by generating ideas, again. You’ll need to cite a real-life comparison to advocate your argument, necessitating more ideas.

For instance, while testing Google.com, you might discover malfunctioning features for a specific language. However, your bug report gets sidelined as the language usage frequency deemed low and the bug fix deemed unnecessary in an upcoming release.

In such scenarios, you need to dispute and advocate bug rectification. Question this: what if there are multiple cases of rare usage shortly and the word gets out that certain features are inoperative? Isn’t it comparable to having a women’s-only coach on a train used as a pantry due to the assumption that no women would be boarding the next few stations?

Ending Thoughts

By now, the vital role of creativity in explaining bugs should be obvious. Ideas streamline the bug resolution process and enable providing real-life comparisons as evidence.

Ultimately, software testing is built on ideas. Not many fields necessitate the constant and abundant flow of ideas, with software testing being an exception. So, shake off monotonous testing, stimulate your mind, and start being creative.

After all, a single spark can ignite a transformation! 🙂

About the author: This insightful article was penned by Bhumika Mehta, a member of our team. She has been a successful Project Lead with over seven years’ expertise in Software Testing.