We all love software. Whether it is the latest game, a useful smartphone app or a simple internet browser opening up the endless possibilities of the worldwide web, software has become integral to our everyday lives; however, developing software is no small task. From the initial idea to the final pass from software testing companies, software packages have a long journey to reach our computers and there are many people involved.
Some of these people get more credit than others, with some getting little appreciation for their efforts. Here are some odes to a few of the unsung heroes:
User experience professionals
User experience or UX experts don’t get as much of the credit as they should, partly because the person on the street doesn’t really know what they do. UX professionals work on websites, software interfaces and a whole host of other things, and their job is to make sure that users get the best experience they can. This involves a number of factors, notably the design and layout of the interface. If a piece of software is smooth and pleasant to use with an intuitive, easy-to-navigate interface, you may well have somebody in UX to thank.
Software testers
For many people the typical image of the software development process is a bunch of developers tapping out lines of virtually incomprehensible code. We don’t give much thought to those who test this code before it is released, either technically or through user testing; however, entire software testing companies are dedicated to this service, such as https://www.bugfinders.com/, and they work very hard to ensure that by the time a piece of software reaches your machine, it is going to work well and not throw up a lot of frustrating errors, bugs and crashes.
Graphic designers
Like UX professionals ‒ or arguably even more so ‒ graphic designers play an essential role in the development process of many software packages. Their role is perhaps partly under-appreciated because the popular image of developers typing near-magical lines of code is so powerful that a lot of people find it hard to imagine anyone else involved, let alone an artist of sorts. All the graphical elements of the interface, along with any other graphics such as logos, have to be designed by someone. Providing these essential elements, and making the finished product look go