Category Archives: mobile application testing

I SLICED UP FUN Mobile Testing Infographic

Twelve years on since I created and shared the mobile testing mnemonic I SLICED UP FUN, I see that people are still using it and finding it valuable. I still use it myself on projects, so I decided to create an infographic to make it more shareable.

I call this a mnemonic because it is a memory aid to help me with my work. A catchy phrase helps me remember everything I need to think about to be thorough when testing mobile apps. Sometimes these are called heuristics, or listicles. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a helpful thinking framework to help quickly generate lots of useful testing ideas.

I SLICED UP FUN is a testing framework for mobile apps, but I use it for more than testing. As a product manager I use it in a generative or creative way as well, not only to help evaluate an existing app design, but to create something new.

If you haven’t used a thinking framework like this before, it’s quite simple to use. Read each section, and determine which ones apply to your product. If a section doesn’t apply, skip it and move to the next. Once you have a list that is applicable to your work, use each item in the list to generate ideas for that category. Once you have a few relevant ideas under that section, move to the next. Then review what you have, and see if there are gaps. Whenever you’re able, include other people to help you generate more and better ideas.

Once you have generated enough ideas, put them into action, whether it is testing, design, or other work you need to do.

You can download the infographic here:
ISLICEDUPFUN mobile testing infographic

Tap Into Mobile Application Testing Book Now Available in Beta

Update: The book is no longer in beta. The final version was published in September 2013 and is available here: Tap Into Mobile Application Testing.

How did you spend your summer? I spent mine writing a book: Tap Into Mobile Application Testing. Now that smartphones and tablets are taking over the mobile space, there has been tremendous demand for ideas and training on how to test on these devices. I started out with my Testing Mobile Apps course, but that only scales so far. Many of you have asked me about writing a book on the topic, so I did. It’s not completely finished yet, but I managed to create most of the content I had hoped to share.

I have two audiences with this book:

  1. Mobilists without much testing experience
  2. Professional testers without much mobile experience

I wrote the book with both of these audiences in mind, and I was also pleased to learn that even deeply experienced mobile testers told me they learned a lot of new ideas and approaches for their own testing projects after reviewing the book.

It is only available in electronic formats right now: PDF, epub and mobi, which should work on most e-reader apps on most mobile devices. I chose mobile first because that’s the medium many of my readers will choose first. It’s also faster for me to get content out there, and many traditional publishers print dead tree copies first, then look at electronic versions. I am using Leanpub, which allows me to publish free updates to every reader who has purchased a copy, even the finalized version that I am targeting for a release later in the year. Once I have a finalized version, I will provide print copies using a print-on-demand service.

The Beta version is a bit rough around the edges. I still have the following on my to-do list:

  • Copy editing and attribution clean up
  • Creating figures and images
  • Section rewrites and new material where needed

If you notice something wrong, misattributed, or missing feel free to contact me and I can fix it before the final version is complete in December.

If you are curious about mobile apps testing on modern devices, I hope you find it useful.