Vivian’s Week #5: SDLC: Testing
Working at InsuredTY has been my first experience utilizing the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), and it’s my first time seeing my work in this way. The SDLC consists of a detailed plan that describes how to develop, maintain, alter, or enhance software. It also depicts a trial-and-error phase that is used to help companies get better at what they do and providing for their consumers. The life cycle has 5 steps: planning, requirements, design, doing, and finally, testing.
Throughout the first weeks at InsuredTY, we learned about what SDLC was and our Trello boards that we utilize every week is planned in a way that makes sure we utilize the SDLC as much as possible in a way that is both user-friendly and most importantly, efficient for the company. It has allowed me to visualize and take the work step-by-step so as not to get too overwhelmed in the process.
Planning
In the planning phase of the SDLC, I usually take a step back to do research, learn more about the options that I’m offered. For example, for making graphics and social media, this would be analyzing the message that I’m trying to portray through graphics and how to achieve this message clearly.
Requirements
Gathering requirements is one of the most overlooked parts of the SDLC and it’s important because it’s similar to preparing all of your ingredients before tackling a recipe. When you’re in the middle of baking and mixing, it’s a hassle to go and measure other ingredients, so it’s better to have it all prepared in the beginning before you start the process (also known as “mise en place”, French for “everything in its place”). Similar to work, it’s important to have everything in arm’s reach so that you can reach for it when you need it easily.
Design
In terms of design, after gathering all of my requirements and after understanding the prompt and what you want to get across, this process will be easier. The design portion is really about putting all those moving parts together and creating something that is able to be delivered to others.
Doing
The “doing” phase of the SDLC is quite personal. It varies from person-to-person. For me, I recognize from practice that I like working alone and being able to process things on my own terms and schedule. This allows my creativity to shine and I actually enjoy the work I do and the process of doing the work when I work alone, as compared to other situations. However, I do enjoy the benefits of teamwork, like being able to bounce ideas off of my teammates, and I acknowledge that this makes for more of a conversation and overall likely a more successful end product. So I like a mix of both, perhaps developing ideas on our own and coming together to discuss is the best way of “doing”.
Testing
This step is the most important step of the SDLC. The “testing” phase is the phase that is open to the public, it is the most impactful stage. However, before getting started, you need to know how to accurately measure success. These are things like Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), like cost-per-click or cost-per-mille. These metrics are key in figuring out how the audience is responding to your product and your content. I hope that with the knowledge and practice of utilizing these metrics, I’m able to listen to feedback and ultimately create better end products at InsuredTY.