Phil Kirkham on Atomic Spin

What Does Giving a Project “a Quick Lookover” Mean for a Tester?

Sometimes, testing is introduced late in a software project, and I'm asked to "give it a lookover" for any serious issues. Here's my approach.

Exploratory Testing

The Bugs They Missed – Finding Bugs in Production

Bugs in production are never pleasant. Use this learning opportunity so no one can ever say, "Customers are better at finding bugs than you."

UX/Design Practices

Alphabetical? Chronological? Best Ways to List Data in Your App

An app will likely show a list of data somewhere, from users to items in your character's backpack. What order will you display the data in?

Personal Optimization

Career Questions to Ask Yourself

I've found that explaining to people what I do has been very useful. Maybe your career could benefit from asking these questions as well.

Exploratory Testing

How Do You Triage Software Bugs?

In the real world, your team will have to deal with software bugs. A regular bug triage meeting can help you deal with them.

Exploratory Testing

Bug List Piling Up? Ignore or Learn from Them

So after some time, your backlog might start to have a number of bugs logged in it. What to do about that bug list?

Exploratory Testing

Exploratory Testing: Looking for Patterns

Being able to look for a pattern, especially a non-obvious one, has been a useful skill and one I still use a lot. Here are few examples.

Exploratory Testing

Spin the Wheel and Randomize Your Testing

As you test a story, how can you deliberately change up your routine? Here are a few ways to randomize testing.

Exploratory Testing

Logging a Bug: 2 Audiences For Your Bug Report

If you're a tester and find a bug in the app you're testing, what do you do? Here are some steps to take when making a bug report

Exploratory Testing

Consistency Tests for Your App: Use Them to Catch Bugs Big or Small

One type of app testing I do regularly is a consistency check. I'll explain what I mean and give examples of possible errors this type of testing picks up.

Exploratory Testing

Software Development and the Ever-Growing Testing Checklist

You probably won't use your checklist to save a life, but it could save your project from bugs! Make sure an item on your list is to check your checklist.

Growing as Makers

Work Anniversary: What I’ve Learned in 10 Years at Atomic

Last month, I celebrated my 10-year work anniversary at Atomic. How did I end up here and what have I learned in the past decade?

Phil Kirkham

Keep up with our latest posts.