Testing for Functionality, Compatibility, Stability and Acceptance

Once you have created your products, you must perform a series of tests to ensure that they are of suitable quality.

Areas for Testing

Functionality

During the design, you took a client’s specification and designed a product that would implement the required functions, the client reviewed this and fed back on it, and you updated your design.

Functionality testing is your attempt to document that what you have produced does indeed implement the required functions or functionality – the list of things that should be there, whether they are to spec (correct size etc). It should be documented in tabular form. List what the function being tested is, what it should do and provide evidence (a screenshot or the actual item in the case of graphics). If the item does not meet the requirements, make a note of why it does not, so that it can be rectified later.

Compatibility

This group of tests will demonstrate whether or not the product(s) work in the required environments. You will usually have to test the product in the various required environments (a website might need testing in different browsers for example) and the outcomes noted and evidenced. Again, any failures should be noted so that they can be fixed later.

Stability

Does your product actually work correctly? Does it work in the face of unexpected situations or inputs?

If you have created an interactive product where the keys ‘A’, ‘S’, ‘W’ and ‘D’ are used to navigate, what happens if other keys are pressed? What if ‘A’ is pressed in a situation where it shouldn’t be? What if the network connection is lost?

As with all other tests, record the test being conducted, the outcome and the details of any failures.

Acceptance

The question that this aims to answer is “Does the client accept the product?” – in order to answer this, you will need to present the products to the client, and ask the question. If your specification has been closely followed and implemented, you should be ok!

Remember that in the communication section and negotiating timelines sections, you may have discussed alternative scopes in order to meet deadlines. This should be referenced if required.