Usability Testing or Functional Testing ?

Whenever an application comes to testers, do you know what Project Managers first say to Test team?

The answer would be, Test the Functionality first and release the build tonight as it’s very important.

Yes, Functionality is very important for an application to work. But there is another important to be tested, before it has to be released, which is side-lined due to time frames.

Functionality testing includes testing all vital and essential features thoroughly to work without any flaws in middle of the application and Application should go in a smooth way in the process of fulfilling the functionality.

The Other Important thing which is mostly taken aside is Usability Testing.

Usability Testing should be start with the Requirement specification and analysis phase then goes to design and then in coding phase. If we perform Usability testing in the same phase, Then Usability testing is just like Verification. This Testing can happen after (or) along with Functional Testing.

Important: If we build a project and then test the ‘Usability Testing’, then we will be setting a stage to cause serious problems.

During the initial stages of the development cycle, Usability Testing comes first and as the project progress – the Functionality testing takes its upper hand.

Whenever a project is developed, it’s shown to Client about the Project Progress and for any improvements or changes to be made in the first phase of the project before it is released to LIVE.

Majorly, many clients are very particular about the look and feel and check deeply every minute point as they gain more customers than their opponents in the first sight of the their project.

We Testers are given us job to make their project go easy without any issues (even though it is small). If anything issues, the client observes and reports to the management: First every one points out their eyes to Testing Team. 

But I don’t understand, they won’t ask the programming team who is handling all the issues coming from testers and why they are not released with the current build.

I knew everyone says, a project can never be 100% bug-free. But if you test-hard enough, a project can be 100% bug-free without any issues.

Many may think which is more important for testers, Testing the functionality or Usability.

Its same like: “Do you love your parents or your loved ones?”

There is no one answer, both are Important for project success and long run without any issues. But at very first sight, every client sees the usability first and then goes to functionality.

To overcome that at that situation, here is above Tip for Testers.

Tip to Testers: Even though, if it is very small spelling mistake or an issue with respect to GUI / Design / Usability, report all your bugs in the defect tracking sheet. Keep all the test execution and bug tracking sheets in handy.
Additionally, whenever you execute a test-case take a screenshot of them, it would be much beneficial also.

Also Above is my Request to Project Management Team.

Kind Request to Project Managers: If anything goes wrong while demo to the client, don’t ever point out a single person for the mistakes. It’s a Team work in project development and everyone is responsible including him.