Thinking caps for testers

Innovative thinking may decrease day by day if you are working on the same project/product for long time. Testers commonly face challenges like one-dimensional thinking, limited ideas, time bound thinking.. etc

Testers need to come out of the comfort zone and think differently. Thinking caps process can help us in this situation. This thinking cap idea is based on a popular book by Edward de Bono, Six Thinking Hats

Blue: This hat tester should know the overview of the product/project. He should understand every situation or problem. People should contact him for any change. He should control the other caps and execute the project.

White: This hat tester should collect the information and analyse it. He should know all about requirements, user stories, defects logged and defects status, tools..etc. This analysed information will help us to take further decisions.

Red: This hat tester should have end user emotional angle. He is allowed to think positive and negative and whatever end user thinks. Anytime his thoughts may break the software. Should control him or his thoughts doing anything.

Yellow: This hat tester is a positive thinker. He thinks of only product quality. Where ever bugs are found he thinks in a positive way and makes sure that all promised things work fine.

Black: This hat tester should always be active and careful. Whenever he sees risk he is expected to escalate it to the higher management. This hat tester helps us to find the problem at the earliest so that we can take decisions.

Green: This hat tester is a creativity tester. He will come up with new ideas and reduce the efforts. He provides alternative solutions for any problem. He will brainstorm the team put the team in a comfort zone.

Putting a hat is not a simple job. Should understand the ability of each team member and assign. There is no magic in this process just think on specific lines.