A heuristic is a practical rule or strategy for examining a system from a particular perspective without requiring a complete formal analysis. Exploratory testers often rely on unconscious heuristics developed through experience, then use explicit heuristics to generate further ideas when their thinking begins to stall. section 8.2.3 section 5.3.2
Mnemonics turn perspectives into prompts for investigation:
- PAOLO examines Portrait orientation, Audio artifacts, Objects in view, Landscape orientation, and Overlays. section 8.2.3
- SFDIPOT examines Structure, Function, Data, Interfaces, Platform, Operations, and Time. section 5.3.2
- A heuristic can be applied to a whole product or to a smaller component or user flow, prompting targeted questions about risks and behavior. section 5.3.2
From heuristic to test idea
While testing a booking calendar, keyboard navigation exposed focus failures in overflowing pop-ups. Applying PAOLO could prompt checks for portrait and landscape rendering, overlays, visible objects, and audio artifacts. Applying SFDIPOT could prompt a separate investigation of how time affects the booking flow. section 8.2.3 section 5.3.2
