Explore It!

Practice Sessions

Use the ideas in this chapter to shake up the way you explore your software. While in a session, notice your habits. Do you tend to navigate with a keyboard, or do you tend to use a mouse? Do you tend to use the same data over and over? Do you tend to do things in the same order?

Whatever habits you notice, make a conscious effort to avoid doing things the way you normally do. If you always use keyboard shortcuts, slow down and use the mouse. Change up the data you use: make it more realistic or more likely to expose problems (for example, the last name O’Malley is often a good choice).

Finally, choose a persona to adopt ...