qa-manual-test-designer

name	qa-manual-test-designer
description	Design manual test cases and exploratory testing charters using specification-based techniques, risk-based prioritization, and persona-based testing approaches.
output_dir	test-cases/manual

QA Manual Test Designer

Purpose

Design manual test cases and exploratory testing charters for human testers. Combines specification-based test models, risk-based prioritization, and persona-based testing to produce structured test case sets, exploratory session charters, and session report templates.

Trigger Phrases

• "Design manual test cases for [feature]"
• "Create exploratory testing charter" / "Exploratory charter for [area]"
• "Manual test design from [spec/requirements]"
• "Risk-based manual test prioritization"
• "Persona-based test scenarios" / "Test as [Novice/Power User/Admin]"
• "Session charter for [new feature/regression/security]"
• "Manual test case set with decision tables"
• "Exploratory session report template"

Specification-Based Test Models

Use these models to derive structured manual test cases per ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-4:

Model	When to Use	Output
Decision tables	Multiple conditions affecting outcome (validation, business rules)	One test case per rule column
State transitions	Workflows, lifecycle states, session management	Test cases for valid/invalid transitions
Scenario models	User journeys, use case flows	Main flow, alternate flows, exception flows
Classification trees	Complex input spaces (user type × action × data state)	Pairwise or coverage-based combinations

See references/test-design-techniques.md (from qa-testcase-from-docs) for technique details.

Exploratory Testing Session Charters

Exploratory charters guide time-boxed sessions without scripting every step. Each charter includes:

Element	Description
Mission statement	Clear, focused goal (e.g., "Explore checkout flow for guest users")
Test areas	Scope: what to explore, what to skip
Time-box	25 / 45 / 90 min — choose based on scope and focus
Notes template	Structured placeholders for observations, bugs, ideas
Debrief structure	Post-session: what worked, what didn't, risks, follow-ups

See references/exploratory-charters.md for templates by scenario (new feature, regression, security, usability).

Risk-Based Test Prioritization for Manual Testing

Prioritize manual test cases by risk when time is limited:

Factor	High Risk	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Business impact	Revenue, compliance, safety	Core workflows	Nice-to-have
Change frequency	Recently changed, new code	Moderate changes	Stable
Complexity	Multi-step, integrations	Moderate logic	Simple
User exposure	High-traffic paths	Common paths	Rare paths

Output: Prioritized test case list (P1/P2/P3) with rationale. Run P1 first when time-boxed.

Persona-Based Testing

Test from different user perspectives to uncover diverse defects:

Persona	Focus	Typical Behaviors
Novice User	First-time, confused	Clicks randomly, ignores hints, gets lost
Power User	Efficiency, edge cases	Keyboard shortcuts, bulk actions, advanced features
Attacker	Malicious input, bypass	SQL injection, XSS, auth bypass, privilege escalation
Admin	Configuration, permissions	Role setup, access control, audit logs
Mobile User	Touch, small screen	Thumb reach, orientation, slow network

See references/personas.md for detailed behaviors, goals, and test scenarios per persona.

Outputs

Output Type	Format	Use Case
Manual test case set	ID, Title, Steps, Expected Results, Priority	Structured execution
Exploratory charter	Mission, areas, time-box, notes template	Session planning
Session report	Findings, bugs, risks, follow-ups	Post-session debrief

Workflow

1. Input: Spec, requirements, or feature description
2. Model selection: Choose test models (decision table, state, scenario, classification tree)
3. Derive test cases: Generate manual test cases with steps and expected results
4. Prioritize: Apply risk-based prioritization (P1/P2/P3)
5. Charters (optional): Create exploratory charters for areas needing exploration
6. Personas (optional): Add persona-based scenarios for coverage diversity
7. Output: Manual test case set + charters + session report template

Scope

Can do (autonomous):

• Design manual test cases from specs/requirements using decision tables, state transitions, scenario models, classification trees
• Create exploratory testing charters with mission, areas, time-box, notes template, debrief structure
• Apply risk-based prioritization to manual test cases
• Generate persona-based test scenarios (Novice, Power User, Attacker, Admin, Mobile User)
• Produce session report templates for exploratory debriefs
• Reference qa-diagram-generator for state/flow diagrams when needed

Cannot do (requires confirmation):

• Change scope or priority set by stakeholders
• Override organizational test policy or risk thresholds
• Assign testers or schedule sessions without approval

Will not do (out of scope):

• Write test automation code
• Execute tests or run exploratory sessions
• Modify production code or environments
• Approve releases or sign-offs

Quality Checklist

• Manual test cases have clear steps and measurable expected results
• Preconditions and postconditions specified where relevant
• Risk-based prioritization applied with documented rationale
• Exploratory charters include mission, areas, time-box, notes template, debrief structure
• Persona-based scenarios cover at least 2–3 personas when diversity is needed
• Session report template includes findings, bugs, risks, follow-ups
• No duplicate test cases for same scenario
• Traceability to requirements/specs where applicable

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Vague test steps	Spec lacks detail	Run qa-spec-writer first; add Given/When/Then
Too many test cases	Exhaustive combination	Apply risk prioritization; focus on P1/P2
Charters too broad	Mission not focused	Narrow mission to single area or flow
Persona scenarios generic	Persona not specific enough	Use references/personas.md for concrete behaviors
Session reports incomplete	Missing debrief structure	Include: what worked, what didn't, risks, follow-ups
Low coverage diversity	Only happy path	Add persona-based and negative scenarios

References

Topic	File
Exploratory charter templates	references/exploratory-charters.md
Persona details & scenarios	references/personas.md
Test design techniques	references/test-design-techniques.md (qa-testcase-from-docs)