Product Testing, More than Whacking Stuff

After doing the fun part of the design process, taking your idea from concept to prototype, it is time to settle down and get down to the hard work.  One of these items is product testing.  Many people envision product testing as work done by people wearing white coats in laboratory.  Well that is not necessarily always true.

Many products do require a laboratory at least for specific testing set by an industry.  This type of testing has the goal of protecting the customer.  Outside of industry required testing what else should you test?

There is also functional testing.  In this case you want to think about how the product will be used.  Map out all these situations and determine how they may be simulated in a controlled environment.  Very similar to functional testing is environmental testing.  Consider what environments the product may be used.  Are there extreme temperatures? Is the product being exclusively used indoors or outdoors?  Is the product used for personal use or professionally?

On the complete other end of the spectrum is abusive testing, or torture testing.  For many this may be the most fun part of product testing.  In all seriousness this part of testing is just as critical and controlled as the other types of testing.  For abuse testing there needs to be a clear plan and an established set of criteria that define if the product meets the requirements.

At the end of the day ensuring that you complete the right testing with the correct acceptance criteria, is critical to ensure you customer’s positive experience.

If you have any further questions, contact me.  I would be happy to review this topic in more detail.

Best,

Jason