My last entry on this blog mentioned going on a road trip using Android Auto, a smart phone application, navigating to my destination.
Android Auto frustrated me terribly when I needed it the most, driving through heavy traffic, in Seattle, an unfamiliar city, during rush hour. I had used the program, more or less successfully, to get to Seattle from northern Utah.
Android Auto had changed my destination to the last place I stopped for gas, making me miss a critical turn.
I pulled over, stopped Android Auto in frustration, and reached my destination using a printed road atlas.
The smart phone was on the seat next to me. I moved it and accidentally touched the screen, causing Android Auto to change my destination, plotting a new route. It should not have changed my destination without a confirmation from me, the user.
For reasons I do not understand, my Android phone also recorded the location of the last gas station I stopped at. Android Auto wanted me to turn around and return to that gas station. I had sent a text message, and made a phone call, from that gas station, which seemed to have recorded the latitude and longitude.
I never told Android Auto I wanted directions to that gas station, or half a dozen other places Android Auto generated preset directions to.
Android Auto, in my judgement, failed software usability testing, with me as a tester.
Usability testing is defined as: "Validating how well a customer can use a system or web application to complete a task." (IBM)
Here is an interesting article about software testing by IBM:
https://www.ibm.com/topics/software-testing
Android Auto frustrated me terribly when I needed it the most, driving through heavy traffic, in Seattle, an unfamiliar city, during rush hour. I had used the program, more or less successfully, to get to Seattle from northern Utah.
Android Auto had changed my destination to the last place I stopped for gas, making me miss a critical turn.
I pulled over, stopped Android Auto in frustration, and reached my destination using a printed road atlas.
The smart phone was on the seat next to me. I moved it and accidentally touched the screen, causing Android Auto to change my destination, plotting a new route. It should not have changed my destination without a confirmation from me, the user.
For reasons I do not understand, my Android phone also recorded the location of the last gas station I stopped at. Android Auto wanted me to turn around and return to that gas station. I had sent a text message, and made a phone call, from that gas station, which seemed to have recorded the latitude and longitude.
I never told Android Auto I wanted directions to that gas station, or half a dozen other places Android Auto generated preset directions to.
Android Auto, in my judgement, failed software usability testing, with me as a tester.
Usability testing is defined as: "Validating how well a customer can use a system or web application to complete a task." (IBM)
Here is an interesting article about software testing by IBM:
https://www.ibm.com/topics/software-testing