by Jennifer Lent
Of the many things that test professionals must take into account, the emotions of the person using the app isn’t usually one of them.
But for mobile apps, emotions matter, test consultant Jonathan Kohl said in his keynote address “Tapping into Testing Mobile Applications,” at the STARWEST conference in Anaheim. “The emotions associated with the app going wrong are visceral. People get angry if the app doesn’t do what they need it to do.”
Kohl advised conference attendees to think about emotions as they test mobile apps. “Is it offering the right type of experience? What happens to the app when the user moves around and the connection gets weaker, when the device switches between networks, or – worst of all – encounters a dead spot?”
When mobile app users get angry, they can delete the offending app in about three seconds. “They press down the button and it’s gone.” And if they’re really, really mad, they will rant about it on Facebook. And when your app becomes a “rantable offense,” that’s devastating, Kohl said.
For more on this topic, see Bid old test rules goodbye: New mind-set needed to test mobile apps.
