Room
Room F3 - Track 3: Talks
Audience
Tester, Manager
Key-Learning
- Increased collaboration by employing Pixar storytelling ideas to create more engaging reports
- Enhanced decision making by clear communication, to comprehend the impact of identified issues, leading to more effective risk mitigation strategies
Ever felt that your test reports are overwhelming the stakeholders? Or realized that the risks associated with identified issues are not communicated clearly, hindering their effective decision-making?
In my early days as a Test Manager, crafting test reports felt like navigating a maze of data. I realized that the critical insights were buried beneath an overwhelming volume of information, and learned the hard way that effective test reporting is not just about numbers and metrics; it is a narrative that communicates product status to make informed decisions.
In 2011, Pixar employee Emma Coats tweeted Pixar’s “22 Rules for Storytelling”. They are renowned for creating engaging stories and offer valuable ideas to me for enhancing test reports. One of the rules emphasizes, “You gotta keep in mind what is interesting to you as an audience, not what is fun to do as a writer”. We might try to put all the information in a report, sometimes not realizing who our stakeholders are and what is the most relevant information for them. The results should be tailored to the needs and expectations of our audiences.
Join me in this talk that shares how integrating these storytelling ideas can transform traditional test reports into engaging narratives that drive meaningful actions. The goal is not just how to present the data but to craft a story that stakeholders can understand, empathize with, and act upon.