Testing is an everyday activity

Besides testing, we have different hobbies. Raul is into woodworking and today he’s sharing one of his first experiences in this domain:

“As a child, I had a curiosity for breaking things to explore their inner workings. I remember once breaking all the windows of a toy bus, thinking that it would allow the tiny people inside to breathe.

Now as an adult, my passion has shifted to woodworking, particularly creating wooden toys. The very first toy I crafted was a pencil-holder truck, a project that consumed both my passion and countless hours of work. Upon completing the truck, I knew it was crucial to test its durability to ensure the safety of children, but if was incredibly difficult for me to do it. How could I bring myself to smash something I had dedicated so much time and effort to? And how would I know I did the right action, or tried all the common scenarios?

Testing one’s own work is laden with bias, as no one wants to witness their creations being demolished. Yet, testing is an imperative step. It allows us to identify weaknesses while we still have control, making it easier and more cost-effective to address them. Once a product is in the hands of customers, rectifying flaws becomes far more complex and expensive. Not to mention the potential impact on reputation (at best) or legal complications (at worst).

Can one test their own work? The answer is yes, however, to ensure optimal results in terms of quality and cost, it is advisable to seek external specialists who can perform professional testing. In hindsight, this is precisely what I did. I entrusted a child to attempt to break my toy, recognizing that they would approach it in ways I hadn’t considered.”

✍ Written by Raul Onişor, Test Manager at Digi Test Lab