Will a new tool help? Here’s an IDEA-T to think about…
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Researcher
Talk Description
Choosing or designing a new tool can feel like the solution to every testing problem until it becomes shelfware. In this talk, Isabel Evans shares insights from years of academic and industry research into how testers acquire, design, and evaluate tools.
In this talk, you’ll learn about IDEA-T, a framework of heuristics Isabel developed to help teams ask better questions before adopting or building tools. Drawing on real-world stories and evidence from interviews, workshops, and case studies, she reveals how testers can use IDEA-T to make more thoughtful, people-centred decisions about tools that genuinely support testing work.
By the end of this session, you'll be able to:
- Explain the purpose and structure of the IDEA-T framework of heuristics.
- Describe key findings from research into how testers design, select, and use tools.
- Apply IDEA-T questions to guide tool selection, evaluation, or development in your own context.
- Recognise common pitfalls in tool adoption and how to avoid them.
30+ years in industry, graduated PhD from Uni of Malta on 4 March 2026! I have been researching tool design, resulting in a prototype heuristic framework, called idea-t. Research will continue as Dr. Evans, as well as beinga speaker, and practitioner. 2017 EuroSTAR Excellence Award.
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