Before you call it done: the walkthrough to ask for

Before signing off a first release, ask for a walkthrough your team can repeat.

For a service website, that might mean finding the right service, sending an enquiry and seeing a confirmation. For an internal tool, it might mean entering a request and knowing who handles it next.

Here are three things we’d put in the brief:

• Task: Show the person completing the main task, including the confirmation that it worked.

• Exception: Show what happens when something fails and who picks it up.

• Handover: Give the team the instructions and access they need to use this part of the system.

A walkthrough makes those details visible. The handover lets the team repeat it after the build team leaves.

These checks cover only part of a test plan. Accessibility, permissions and other requirements need their own checks, depending on the project.

Pick one task in your next release and write down what a successful walkthrough would show.

Prepared for WGMI with AI assistance.