Why test?
All modern products are technology products. Design and experience are fused with the science and engineering of products, and it is often impossible to separate the boundaries of design from technology:
- Rapid changes in technology create opportunities to introduce new experience patterns for many existing products. How will customers respond to departure from experiences they like and used to? How does the new design-technology experience compare to the existing one? Are changes needed? Which elements should be changed? What are the priorities in making the changes before launch?
- New products need to be validated to ensure that the experience is safe and satisfactory. Just because a product is new and the experience is new and unique, does not automatically mean that its quality, efficiency, and user satisfaction are good. How do design assumptions correlate to a user's actual impression and experience?
Key justifications for testing help validate these questions:
- Is the product working...