This testing is similar to the ad-hoc testing and is done
in order to learn/explore the application.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Exploratory
software testing is a powerful and fun approach to testing. In some situations,
it can be orders of magnitude more productive than scripted testing. At least
unconsciously, testers perform exploratory testing at one time or another. Yet
it doesn't get much respect in our field. It can be considered as �Scientific
Thinking� at real time
USABILITY TESTING
This testing is also called as �Testing for User-Friendliness�. This testing is
done if User Interface of the application stands an important consideration and
needs to be specific for the specific type of user. Usability testing is the
process of working with end-users directly and indirectly to assess how the user
perceives a software package and how they interact with it. This process will
uncover areas of difficulty for users as well as areas of strength. The goal of
usability testing should be to limit and remove difficulties for users and to
leverage areas of strength for maximum usability. This testing should ideally
involve direct user feedback, indirect feedback (observed behavior), and when
possible computer supported feedback. Computer supported feedback is often (if
not always) left out of this process. Computer supported feedback can be as
simple as a timer on a dialog to monitor how long it takes users to use the
dialog and counters to determine how often certain conditions occur (ie. error
messages, help messages, etc). Often, this involves trivial modifications to
existing software, but can result in tremendous return on investment.
Ultimately, usability testing should result in changes to the delivered product
in line with the discoveries made regarding usability. These changes should be
directly related to real-world usability by average users. As much as possible,
documentation should be written supporting changes so that in the future,
similar situations can be handled with ease.
