Six hats for software testers - Black

This tip comes from Julian Harty, and is based on the work of Edward de Bono. Julian uses the metaphor of six thinking hat to provide six different and distinct viewpoints for software testers. When you wear your black hat, you are cautious and careful. What are the risks and problems with your project? What are the worst case scenarios?

Black represents darkness, and allows us to be careful and cautious (without being overly negative). The black hat helps us to identify things that might be incorrect, stuff that might go wrong, etc. It provides a natural caution, which is particularly useful in software testing. The black hat taps into our natural ‘fears’ about safety and security and helps us to voice our concerns without them being viewed as ‘negative’ or ‘unhelpful’.

You can see Julian present the topic at STARWEST here.