Diverse Testing for the Best User Experiences

Posted on June 30, 2021 Updated on August 17, 2026

Long before I began consulting, I was developing new applications for a Marketing company. Nearly everything was built from the ground up then, and there was very little reuse. That changed over time as I developed reusable functions and eventually created a “standard system” that significantly reduced development time due to reuse. Throughout this multi-year period, I had an unplanned but valuable assistant – “Wendy”

My user interfaces were generally well received for their layout, workflow, help screens, etc. But a new hire on the Customer Service team consistently ran into problems. I was young, and one of my first interactions with her probably went something like this: “Why would you do it that way? That doesn’t even make sense? Have you ever worked with computers before?”

She began crying. I felt like a jerk as my frustration began to wane. Days later, I realized Wendy was a gift and not a problem. She had an incredible knack for finding obscure flaws and breaking things. I embraced it, bought her lunch, and asked her to help improve my software. She was excited to help, and eventually we laughed about our initial encounters.

Wendy and I had become allies in a quest to create custom software that provided a better, problem-free user experience. Nothing was taken for granted. Everything became more robust. Surprisingly, everyone appreciated these changes, not just Wendy. She helped me become a better programmer and analyst, and I gave her an experience that helped her become one of the first Quality Assurance Analysts in the company. It was a win-win.

There is often a considerable difference in the expectations and ways that Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer users interface with applications. Creating a one-size-fits-all application is far more challenging today because of this simple fact. But it is essential to success.

People today tend to move on when their experiences fail to match their expectations. Investing in your system’s “Wendy-proofing” can become a competitive advantage. I have long believed that “People buy easy.”

If one person encounters a problem, others will likely follow unless you implement a remedy. It is more work, but the result can be increased satisfaction, usage, and loyalty. That seems like a good tradeoff to me.

What are your thoughts?