Testing is an essential step in any Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) aimed at confirming the product’s quality and eliminating errors to ensure the final product is free from defects. There are two testing methods: Manual testing and Automation testing. Manual testing involves testers meticulously following a step-by-step process to identify defects in the developed product.

However, this approach often leaves little room for exploratory testing and reporting, particularly when Agile processes show no sign of decline. In contrast, Automation testing relies on predefined actions, produces consistent results, and generates intelligent reports, offering greater efficiency for both the organization and testers.

In this blog, we will delve into the critical decision of choosing the right automation tool. With a plethora of options available in the market, selecting the most suitable tool can be a challenging yet crucial task. We’ll explore the factors to consider and provide insights into some of the best automation tools that cater to web and app testing needs. Whether you’re a seasoned QA professional or a newcomer to the world of test automation, this blog will help you make informed choices, enhancing the effectiveness of your testing efforts. But before we go ahead, let us first understand the basics of automation tools.

Why do we need automation tools?

Automation testing improves the efficiency of testing, ensures accurate results, and expedites the execution speed of time-consuming and repetitive manual tasks. The testing process in the SDLC gets completed with minimal human intervention which leads to faster sharing of results when the build is shared.

What are the benefits of automation?

Automated testing has benefits like higher reliability, availability, productivity, reduced operating costs, and increased performance.

How to choose the right automation tool?

There are many automation testing tools in the market and the new tool gets launched every year, some are open source and some are charged. How to choose the right tool for your project? Below are some tips that can help you make informed decisions:

Determine the scenarios to be automated.
Evaluate and investigate the automation options that suit you the best as per your budget and requirements.
Choose a couple of tools that suit your requirements.
Conduct test trials and choose the best one.
Share the information with the stakeholders and get their consent.
The selection and utilization of the most suitable tool depend on the project’s specific requirements, as there is no universal “best” tool for all projects.

Popular tools in the market

The below-listed tools are some of the best automation tools that can be used for both web and app testing.

Appium

Appium is a common open-source framework and a cross-platform tool that executes the test scripts in multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows using the same API. Additionally, Appium provides support for multiple programming languages and automation testing frameworks, such as Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, C#, and more.

Using Appium, you can conduct app test automation for the following :

Native mobile apps: These apps are written using Android, iOS, and Windows SDKs installed on the device.
Mobile web apps: Web applications can be opened in mobile web browsers such as Chrome and Safari. Additionally, you can access mobile web applications by utilizing in-app browsers on both Android and iOS platforms.
Hybrid apps: These applications are constructed with a wrapper around a “webview,” which is a native control enabling interaction with web content. You have the option to access hybrid apps either through a physical device or via a browser URL.

KATALON

Katalon Platform is an automation testing software developed by Katalon, Inc. This software is built on top of the open-source automation frameworks Selenium, and Appium with a specialized IDE interface for web, API, mobile, and desktop application testing.

Katalon Studio is a low-code platform that has all-in-one for automation testing for web, API, mobile, and desktop (Windows). This tool has the following features that can help in speeding up the QA:

Powerful Record and Playback: This is the simplest method for generating test cases in automation testing. It records the actions that you perform and converts them into an executable code in the back end. This functionality is particularly useful when the process of identifying objects is laborious and challenging.
Behavior-Driven Development (BDD): BDD is a testing methodology widely used in many agile teams. Katalon Studio supports Cucumber Runner for BDD and seamless integration with Jira.
Smart XPath: When there is an update in the application, it is difficult to fix the element location. Katalon Smart XPath leverages AI to automatically locate web and app elements, making it easier for you to adapt to the frequent changes that accompany each new release.
Smart Wait: This is a newly introduced feature in Katalon Studio 7 that handles the Wait issues in Selenium. With this feature, Katalon Studio will automatically pause until all front-end processes of a web page have been completed before proceeding to the next steps. This ensures uniform execution outcomes and helps QA engineers save considerable time by avoiding unnecessary investigations into false alarms.
Image-based Recognition: This is considered a breakthrough feature in test automation and is under development. In its initial release, end-users will be able to engage with application elements using keywords, eliminating the need to write scripts for element location.
Dual-editor Interface: Katalon Studio offers manual and scripting options allowing automation beginners to commence automation immediately, while also providing automation experts with the capability to create advanced test scripts.

Selenium

Selenium is an open-source framework for a range of tools and libraries that aims at supporting browser automation. It also provides a playback tool for authoring functional tests across most modern web browsers, without the need to learn a test scripting language.

Benefits of Using Selenium:

The Selenium test script can be written in different programming languages like Java, C#, Python, Ruby, PHP, Perl, and JavaScript.
Selenium offers record and playback features with its browser add-on called Selenium IDE
The powerful Selenium WebDriver helps you create the most complex and advanced automation scripts.

TestComplete

TestComplete is a GUI-based test automation tool that can be utilized for most desktop, web, and mobile applications. This tool can be used by both technical and non-technical users.

Features:

Code or codeless test cases are created using record & playback, or script in JavaScript, Python, and VBScript.
Utilizes ML and AI for object recognition.
Supports testing enterprise applications such as SAP, Oracle EBS, and Salesforce.
Parallel execution of UI tests in the cloud or local machine.
Integrates completely with commonly used tools such as CI/CD, test management, issue tracking, and version control, giving you a complete testing lifecycle.

Ranorex Studio

Ranorex Studio is used by many enterprises worldwide as an all-in-one tool for testing desktop, online, and mobile applications.

Features:

This code is easy to use for beginners but very productive for automation QA with a complete IDE and a codeless click-and-go interface.
Reliable Object Identification is possible for web items with modifying IDs. It supports test maintenance by sharing the object repository and code modules.
Customized test reports can be created with the built-in Selenium WebDriver for parallel or distributed test case execution.
The test execution is video recorded which helps to debug the failure test cases without re-running. Also supports commonly used tools like Jenkins, Jira, TestRail, Git, Travis CI, etc.

Kobiton

Kobiton is an AI-driven scriptless automation tool that ensures comprehensive quality and release at speed. this tool easily automates Functional, Performance, Visual, and Compatibility tests.

This testing tool offers codeless capture and runnable automation.
It creates scriptless Appium code
AI-assisted correction
Automated debug detection
Performance Testing
Visual Validation & UX Testing
In-depth session exploration and reporting
Seamless CI/CD integrations
Unlimited user policy with Access to Real devices in the cloud or via on-premises set-ups.

ACCELQ

ACCELQ is also one of the popular AI-powered Codeless Test Automation platforms that runs on the cloud which seamlessly automates Web UI, API, Mobile, and Desktop. Many customers have adopted this tool to speed up their automation as it does 3 times faster automation development and reduces 70% of their maintenance and 50% of cost savings which enables continuous delivery.

Codeless, No vendor lock, Built-in framework
Any browser & OS, cloud-based, actionable reporting
Business process, Automated, Visual, plug & play
Visual test, comprehensive taxonomy, requirement mapping
In-sprint automation, Web-Mobile-API & Desktop

Lamda test

This tool is the most famous automated tool for desktop and web applications. This tool assists the manual and automation cross-browser testing in languages like Java, Python, or Javascript, on a combination of 2000+ desktop and mobile browsers.
Online Browser Compatibility Testing
Test Responsiveness on all Screen Sizes
Inbuilt Issue Tracker
Parallel execution of tests reduces your testing span.
It has remarkable testing for Geo-Targeting, Geo-Blocking, and Geo-Location in over 27 countries, including India, Japan, Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom

Conclusion

Automation testing has become a cornerstone for delivering high-quality products efficiently. It offers the promise of precision, repeatability, and speed that manual testing often struggles to match. However, the success of your automation efforts hinges on selecting the right tool for the job.

As we’ve explored, the process of choosing the appropriate automation tool is multifaceted. It demands a keen understanding of your project’s specific requirements, a consideration of budget constraints, and a careful evaluation of available options. Your choice should ultimately empower your team to efficiently identify defects, enhance software quality, and expedite the delivery of robust, error-free applications. In the end, the right automation tool can be the catalyst for achieving excellence in your testing efforts.

About the Author:

Saranya N S is heading Quality Assurance in Mantra Labs. She has in-depth knowledge of testing automation frameworks and has worked in automation teams in various domains across the IT industry.

Further Reading: How is Automation Testing Effective in Defect-Free Delivery?

In the world of product design, consistency is the cornerstone of delivering a seamless user experience. As digital products evolve and scale, the challenge of maintaining design consistency across multiple platforms, teams, and touchpoints becomes more complex. This is where design systems come in. A design system is a comprehensive set of guidelines, components, and tools that help designers and developers create a consistent and cohesive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). From a designer’s perspective, building and maintaining a design system requires a strategic approach to ensure scalability, flexibility, and alignment with business goals.

Source: https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/design-system)

Why Design Systems Matter?

Design systems are more than just style guides or pattern libraries. They offer a unified language for design and development, bridging the gap between creativity and functionality. Here are a few reasons why they are critical:

Consistency Across Products

One of the primary goals of a design system is to ensure uniformity across different platforms and devices. When users interact with a product, whether on a website or a mobile app, they expect a consistent experience. A well-implemented design system ensures that visual elements, interactions, and behaviors are aligned, offering a familiar and intuitive experience for users.

2. Faster Iteration

With a design system in place, teams can reuse components and patterns rather than reinventing the wheel for each new feature. This speeds up the design and development process, allowing teams to focus on solving new problems instead of reworking existing designs. For designers, it means less time spent on repetitive tasks and more time dedicated to innovation.

3. Scalability

As products grow and new features are added, maintaining a coherent UI/UX without a design system can become chaotic. A design system provides a scalable framework, enabling teams to add new elements or modules without compromising the overall consistency of the product.

4. Improved Collaboration

A design system fosters collaboration between designers, developers, and other stakeholders by providing a shared language and reference point. This ensures that design decisions are communicated effectively, reducing friction and misunderstandings between teams.

Building a Design System: A Designer’s Perspective

Designing a system from scratch can seem like a daunting task, but with a clear roadmap and understanding of core principles, it becomes a powerful tool for creating scalable and user-centered products.

1. Define the Core Principles

Before diving into visual components, it’s essential to establish the core principles of your design system. These principles serve as the foundation and guide decision-making throughout the process. Ask yourself:

• What are the key values of your brand?

• How should the design reflect the needs and emotions of users?

• What goals are you trying to achieve with your design system (e.g., accessibility, flexibility, innovation)?

For instance, if accessibility is a top priority, you’ll need to ensure that your design system accommodates users with different abilities, by providing color contrast guidelines, clear typographic hierarchies, and accessible components.

2. Create a Unified Visual Language

Once the principles are established, the next step is creating a cohesive visual language. This includes defining elements such as:

• Color Palette: A well-structured color palette ensures harmony across different UI components. It’s crucial to include primary, secondary, and accent colors, along with usage guidelines to avoid inconsistency.

• Typography: Define a typography system that establishes hierarchies and clarity, including font styles, sizes, line heights, and spacing. Consistent typography helps users navigate content effortlessly.

• Spacing and Grids: An established grid system ensures a balanced layout and harmony between different UI elements. Proper spacing guidelines prevent crowded or misaligned components.

• Iconography and Illustrations: Design guidelines for icons and illustrations help maintain visual consistency. Icons should follow a standard style (outlined, filled) and size, ensuring they align with the overall visual language.

Iconography and Illustrations: Design guidelines for icons and illustrations help maintain visual consistency. Icons should follow a standard style (outlined, filled) and size, ensuring they align with the overall visual language.

Image Source: https://designerup.co/blog/10-best-design-systems-and-how-to-learn-and-steal-from-them/)

3. Design Reusable Components

A design system is incomplete without reusable UI components. These components include buttons, forms, modals, and navigation elements that can be used across various features and pages. Each component should be:

• Modular: Components should be flexible and adaptable for different contexts. For example, a button should have variations for different states (hover, active, disabled) and types (primary, secondary, destructive).

• Documented: Each component needs comprehensive documentation that explains how it should be used, its variants, and the rules governing its application. This ensures consistency when different team members use the same component.

4. Implement Accessibility Guidelines

Accessibility should be at the forefront of every design system. As a designer, consider:

• Color Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for readability.

• Keyboard Navigation: Ensure that interactive components are navigable via keyboard for users who rely on keyboard shortcuts.

• Responsive Design: Components should be responsive, adapting seamlessly across different screen sizes and devices.

• Assistive Technologies: Design components should be compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies to provide an inclusive experience.

Maintaining a Design System: Evolving with the Product

Once a design system is in place, the work doesn’t stop there. Maintaining it requires ongoing effort as the product evolves and new design challenges emerge. Here’s how designers can ensure the design system remains relevant and effective:

1. Regular Audits and Updates

A design system should be treated as a living document that evolves with the product. Regular audits are necessary to identify outdated or unused components. Designers should collaborate with developers to ensure new features are aligned with the existing design system, and updates should be documented to avoid fragmentation.

2. Version Control and Documentation

Version control is essential for keeping track of changes in the design system. Documenting why and how changes are made ensures that the design system grows in an organized manner. It also helps onboard new team members quickly, as they can reference updated guidelines.

3. Foster Collaboration Across Teams

Designers need to maintain an open line of communication with developers and other teams using the design system. Tools like Figma, Sketch, and Zeplin allow designers to share components and guidelines in real-time, fostering collaboration and ensuring that everyone is aligned.

Some well-known examples of design systems that have set benchmarks in the industry:

1. Google Material Design

URL: Material Design
Overview: Google’s Material Design is one of the most comprehensive design systems available. It provides guidelines on how to create visual, motion, and interaction design across platforms and devices. Material Design is known for its grid-based layouts, responsive animations, and depth effects like shadows and lighting.
Features:
- Comprehensive color palettes, typography, and iconography.
- Extensive component library (buttons, cards, etc.).
- Customizable UI components for both web and mobile applications.

2. Salesforce Lightning Design System

URL: Salesforce Lightning
Overview: Salesforce’s Lightning Design System provides a comprehensive library of UI components and resources to help build applications on the Salesforce platform. It ensures a consistent experience across Salesforce products and enables developers to create custom apps easily.
Features:
- Ready-to-use components, design tokens, and code snippets.
- Comprehensive accessibility guidelines to ensure inclusivity.
- Detailed documentation for developers to integrate components into Salesforce applications.

3. Microsoft Fluent Design System

URL: Fluent Design
Overview: Fluent Design is Microsoft’s design system, created to provide an engaging and scalable UI across all Microsoft products. It is heavily focused on interaction, animation, and motion while ensuring accessibility across various device ecosystems.
Features:
- Focus on depth, motion, and light to create modern and interactive UIs.
- Cross-platform components supporting web, desktop, and mobile applications.
- Accessible components with detailed guidelines for developers.

Conclusion

Building and maintaining a design system is an investment that pays off in the long run. It ensures consistency across your product, improves collaboration between teams, and allows for faster iteration and scalability. For designers, a design system is more than a collection of reusable components — it’s a framework that enables you to create user-centric products with confidence and clarity. By embracing modularity, documentation, and accessibility, you’ll ensure that your design system remains a valuable asset as your product grows.

About the Author:

Shristi is a creative professional with a passion for visual storytelling. She recently transitioned from the world of video and motion graphics to the exciting field of product design at Mantra Labs. When she’s not designing, she enjoys watching movies, traveling, and sharing her experiences through vlogs.

Choosing the Right Automation Testing Tool: A Guide

Why do we need automation tools?