WWW… Wednesday! TestingBot

As designers, we’re tasked with bridging the gap between tools and art. When confronted with a problem, our job is to first understand its scope and then create a clever, tasteful solution that is both simple in function and use and pleasing to look at. This is a tall order. Striking the proper balance between aesthetic and functional utility is a juggling act that can take a lifetime to master.

While we may like to believe that both visual appeal and utility are equally important, in reality, they are not. Aesthetic shortcomings can be forgiven as long as the product serves the purpose for which it was created. On the other hand, an object that fails in regards to function is useless no matter how nice it is to look at. Whenever designing something that will be in the hands of a user, it’s important that we give each part of this equation its due consideration.

Whether designing a car, a vacuum, or a website, testing is an important part of the development process. It’s undoubtedly the least fun part and can be the hardest to grasp for those who are uninitiated. Nonetheless, it’s integral to the success of our final product. Whether for apps or sites, testing can reveal things we might have overlooked at earlier stages. The earlier we can find these errors, the better. After launch, these mistakes can be costly, so it’s important to resolve any points of friction before customers have the chance to experience them in a situation with actual consequences.

TestingBot is a service that allows for easy automated and manual testing of Apps and Sites. Depending on your goals, it can be used to identify any issues in usability, inconsistencies across platforms and browsers, or anything else potentially harmful to the overall success of your product. As individuals, we’re limited in the scope of testing we can do. There are a lot of things that can go wrong without our realizing it. Having access to over 2200 browsers and physical devices via a cloud network enables you to test your products across a wide variety of scenarios and use cases and gain greater insight into the performance of our product as a whole. Custom tests can be created by recording your actions and the results of the tests can be compared across the browsers and devices to ensure consistency. The ability to automate this task means much fewer headaches and more time spent on the enjoyable aspects of design.

You can learn more about TestingBot and try a free trial here.