How I Became a Mobile App Test Analyst at Trade Me

Background

My journey into the world of mobile app testing at Trade Me started with a unique challenge. The Mobile Platform team was embarking on a major project: modularizing their app codebase. This meant breaking down the monolithic app into smaller, reusable components that other mobile teams could leverage. However, this ambitious undertaking had a side effect: developers were spending a significant amount of time testing each other's work, impacting their core focus and overall productivity. That's where I came in.

Challenge

The primary challenge was to ensure the quality and stability of these new modules while allowing developers to concentrate on building them. We needed to streamline the testing process and create a robust system that could handle the complexities of modularization. The goal was to enable other teams to easily integrate these modules into their own Trade Me apps without encountering a slew of bugs and compatibility issues.

Solution

My solution was to take ownership of the testing process. I conducted thorough manual testing across a range of devices, screen sizes, OS versions, orientations, and light/dark mode settings. This involved meticulously checking every aspect of the modules' functionality and user experience. Crucially, I created detailed test plans for each task, adhering to both technical and customer standards. This documentation proved invaluable, not only for my own work but also for future reference by other developers. Beyond manual testing, I also delved into the CI/CD pipeline, investigating and resolving flaky tests that were causing constant build failures, further improving the development workflow.

Result

The results of this focused approach were impressive. In just one quarter, we successfully and fully modularized the search feature in the iOS app. This achievement demonstrated the effectiveness of dedicated testing and laid the groundwork for further modularization efforts. It freed up the development team to focus on building new features and improving existing ones, significantly boosting their productivity and overall project momentum.

Takeaway

My key takeaways from this experience are invaluable for any aspiring mobile test analyst. First, understanding the scope of each development task is crucial for effective testing. Second, documenting every test, no matter how small, is essential for maintaining a clear record and facilitating knowledge sharing. Third, strong communication is paramount. Regularly collaborating with developers to create comprehensive test plans and even strategically grouping tests can save significant time and effort. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be firm about bug reporting. Don't let bugs slide, even if they're discovered late in the development cycle. Provide developers with detailed reproduction steps to ensure that issue doesn't make it into production. This experience solidified my understanding of the critical role test analysts play in ensuring the quality and success of mobile app development, especially in complex projects like modularization.