As a front-end developer, your primary goal is to ensure that your application is user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate. However, achieving this goal can be challenging, especially when you rely solely on traditional testing methods. This is because traditional testing methods typically test ‘golden paths’ - the primary user paths built around feature storyboards, while bugs are typically found in the paths less traveled.  To build a successful application, you need to incorporate real user experiences into your development process.

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Real-world testing

Traditional testing methods involve testing an application in an isolated environment, which may not accurately reflect how users interact with the application in the real world. Incorporating real-world testing into your development process can help you identify issues that traditional testing methods may miss.

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End-to-end exploration of the app

When testing an application, it's essential to test the entire application end to end. This means testing every feature and every workflow, for example password reset or payment setup, to ensure that the application is functioning as intended. End-to-end testing helps ensure that the application is user-friendly and that users can complete their tasks without encountering any issues.

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User-centric approach

When building an application, it's essential to take a user-centric approach. This means designing the application with the user in mind and testing the application from the user's perspective. By taking a user-centric approach, you can identify issues that impact the user experience and prioritize fixing them.

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Regression testing

Regression testing is essential for ensuring that new changes and features do not impact existing functionality or assumptions that users have. Incorporating real user data into your regression testing process can help you catch regression issues before they impact users.

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Prioritize bugs that have a high impact

Not all bugs are created equal. Some bugs have a higher impact on the user experience than others. It's essential to prioritize fixing bugs that have a high impact on the user experience to ensure that your application is user-friendly and meets the needs of your users.

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Relicx can help you get started on your journey to incorporate real user experiences into your development process. Relicx is a product that automatically captures user sessions from production and then automatically tests the next build of the application based on learning from real user sessions. With Relicx, you can identify user behavior patterns, uncover bugs and usability issues, and ensure that your software is meeting the needs of your users.

In conclusion, incorporating real user experiences into your development process is essential for building user-friendly and intuitive applications. By taking a user-centric approach, testing the application end to end, and prioritizing bugs that have a high impact on the user experience, you can ensure that your application is meeting the needs of your users.

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