Diverse Testing for the Best User Experiences

Posted on June 30, 2021 Updated on November 28, 2023

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 Sue.”

My user interfaces were generally liked due to layout, workflow, help screens, etc. But, a new hire in the Customer Service team was consistently running 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 Sue was a gift and not a problem. She had an incredible knack for finding obscure flaws and breaking things. I embraced this, bought her lunch, and asked her if she would help improve my software. She was excited to be able to help, and eventually, we laughed about our initial encounters.

Wendy Sue 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, these changes were appreciated by everyone, not just Wendy Sue. She helped me become a better programmer and analyst, and I provided her with an experience that led to her becoming 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 all application is far more challenging today because of this simple fact. But, it is essential to success.

People today tend to move on to something else when their experiences fail to match their expectations. Investing in your system’s “Wendy Sue proofing” can become a competitive advantage. I have long held the belief that, “People buy easy.”

If one person encounters a problem, others will likely follow unless a remedy is implemented. 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?