Persona-based testing gains more and more popularity in recent years. An approach in software testing where personas are involved (a representation of an actual user) to test(use) the application. It helps identify issues with the software that may not have been detected during traditional testing activities.
This blog will show you what persona-based testing is, why is important, and how it can be implemented in the development of software.
What is Persona-based testing?
Persona-based testing is a testing activity(approach) in software testing that involves creating fictional users(characters) that are representing the real end users and will show how the user would interact with the application. The creation of these users is based on real end-user data (previously analyzed). Thanks to the data we will know how these users interact with the application in their own way.
The personas(users) are created by previous research, surveys, and interviews with real end users. They are designed to represent the different types of end users who will use the software to achieve their goals and preferences. Once the personas are created, test cases per persona are also created to show how each persona would use the software.
Why is Persona-based testing important?
By using this approach, you will have the opportunity to really see how end users will use the software for their needs on a daily basis. Maybe the thought you had about how end users are using the product wasn’t correct after all. So applying persona-based testing you will understand the application flow better and the users who will use the software.
Another benefit this approach can have to the overall testing strategy is the improvement of the overall user experience. By using different personas, the development team can ensure that the software meets the needs and expectations of the target audience.
One activity that can be affected by using this approach is the actual Exploratory Testing activity. Instead of following a test chart, we can use personas to create the flow per user, satisfy the business requirements, identify bugs, and increase the confidence among the team about the product.
Let’s dive into how you can start implementing persona-based testing within your organization.
Implementing Persona-based testing
Implementing persona-based testing involves following several steps, These are:
User analyses & research
In the first step, research about what are our end users, what is the differences between them, what is their goals, etc, is conducted. This analysis can be performed using surveys, interviews, or any kind of end-user feedback.
Persona Creation
After the initial research, personas are created based on the data collected in the previous step. These personas represent the end users who will be using our software.
Test Case
Once the personas are created, test cases per persona are created as well, describing how each persona would interact with the software
Testing
The final step is executing the test cases created for each persona to see if they satisfy the end-user needs and requirements. The testing should be done in a production-like environment that simulates how users interact with the software in the real world.
Last few words
Persona-based testing is an effective approach in the software testing world. Instead of following a document or some kind of guide that shows how to interact with the software, many organizations today are letting the end users decide what is their preferred way of using the software in order to meet their goals. That is why this approach needs to be considered as part of the STLC process to ensure that the software is of high quality, has a good user experience, and meets the business requirements.
Edureka’s Manual Testing Certification Training is designed to master how to develop Test Cases and Scenarios which may be Specification-based (Black-Box Techniques) or Experience-based (Error Guessing Techniques) and ensure Configuration Management, Risk Management, and Defect Management.
