When you are contracted to redevelop (or even design a site from scratch) a web site by a client you need to follow a series of stages that are outlined very well by Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler in their book Web Redesign.
They state one process fits all:
- Defining the Project:
- discovery,
- planning, and
- clarification;
- Developing site structure:
- content-view,
- site-view, and
- page-view;
- Visual design and testing:
- creating,
- confirming, and
- handing off;
- Production and QA:
- prepping,
- building, and
- testing;
- Launch and beyond:
- delivery,
- launch, and
- maintenance.
If we apply this to the concept of managing a project to (re)develop a web site, then we can look at the types of testing needed to be completed at each stage of the life of this project.
If we decide that the testing types are:
- Accessibility
- Usability
- Client Acceptance
Then we could say the following may be true:
|
Phase
|
Testing | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
|
Defining the Project
|
Problem discovery testing | When redesigning a site you need to find out the current issues and reasons why they exist. Use of real people to test the site in its current form gives you the feedback required. |
|
Developing site structure
|
Usability | The ease of use of a site will drive people away if it is over complex. This stage helps to determine what routes people will take and how easily they want to be able to get to the information. |
|
Visual design and testing
|
Accessibility | The use of colour, size, typography and other design concepts will affect the usability of the site. Testing with people with disabilities and those without will help to determine what special changes may be required before full production. |
|
Production and QA
|
Accessibility Usability |
Testing usability and accessibility at this stage verifies that problems encountered have been rectified, and if not the quality assurance may be completed to remove the issues found. |
|
Launch and beyond
|
What other issues are involved in this? How can we keep track of what work is completed and when? How can we track the testing?
In both cases you can use something as simple as a diary or calendar, and go as far as project management software when a large site is being developed.
What other testing is required, and how? Put your views below.
1 response so far ↓
1
Ty D
// Aug 16, 2005 at 2:24 pm
This book is an excellent resource for web site testing. Having adapted my own testing schedule from the information and examples contained within this book, I am very pleased with the way that the information has been presented. I found it very useful and I reccomend this book to everyone whom is seeking information about web site testing and development.