QA Trends to Watch in 2025: A Product-Centric Approach

2025 is bringing about significant shifts in QA, from how we think about testing to who performs it. Let's check out the key trends reshaping software quality and how they impact product development.

Accessibility by Design

The upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA), set to take effect on June 28, 2025, marks what will be a significant shift in how accessibility is considered throughout software development. While this legislation primarily affects European markets, its influence will ripple globally, pushing us all toward more inclusive practices.

The traditional approach of treating accessibility as a QA checkpoint will become obsolete. Instead, organizations will recognize the need to embed accessibility considerations throughout the entire development lifecycle.

This shift means:

• Incorporating accessibility requirements during initial feature planning and design phases
• Training development teams in accessibility standards and best practices
• Building accessibility testing into continuous integration pipelines
• Creating robust documentation that includes accessibility considerations

By building accessibility into every step, we create better products for everyone.

AI in Quality Assurance: Beyond Basic Automation

Although AI has been a buzzword for a couple of years now, 2025 is showing more mature and practical applications of AI in Quality Assurance. We're seeing AI evolve beyond simple test automation to becoming a valuable tool throughout the QA process.

We're seeing this evolution in several ways:

• AI-assisted test script generation that learns from human testing patterns
• Intelligent test maintenance that can adapt to UI changes
• Predictive analytics for identifying high-risk areas requiring focused testing
• Natural language processing for converting user stories into test scenarios

It’s key to remember that AI enhances QA, but it doesn’t replace it. The human elements of QA—empathy, critical thinking, and user advocacy—are essential.

Smart Development: Understanding Users Before Writing Code

The "move fast and break things" mentality is giving way to a more thoughtful, user-centric approach. Organizations are prioritizing user understanding before development begins by:

• Investing in user research to discover pain points
• Creating detailed user personas and journey maps
• Conducting regular user testing sessions
• Using behavior analytics to inform priorities
• Building feedback loops into their development process

By understanding user needs before development begins, organizations are building products that users actually want and will use.

Cross-Platform Testing Evolution

With mobile usage surpassing desktop and continuing to grow, cross-platform testing is evolving rapidly. In this realm, we're seeing:

• Cloud-based testing environments that simulate real-world conditions (that actually work)
• Enhanced device labs utilizing actual hardware for authentic testing
• Automated compatibility checks across platforms
• Real-time monitoring of user experiences across different devices

Users expect seamless experiences across all their devices. Meeting this demand is now essential for product success.

Security-First Quality Assurance

We all saw this one coming as a 2025 trend. The CrowdStrike incident was a slap in the face for many to start prioritizing security testing. While security testing was often thought of as a separate concern, it’s now being considered a key part of QA.

This includes:

• Integration of security testing into regular QA workflows, with particular attention to update validation procedures
• Implementation of progressive rollout strategies for security updates to limit potential damage
• Enhanced testing of interactions between security tools and core system components
• Increased focus on failsafe mechanisms and rollback procedures
• Automated security scanning as part of continuous integration
• Enhanced collaboration between QA and security teams
• Rigorous validation of security tool updates before deployment

With the CrowdStrike incident serving as a wake-up call, organizations are prioritizing security testing that is integrated into every aspect of quality assurance, not treated as a separate concern.

Shift Left Testing: Quality from Day One

The industry is seeing a decisive move toward "shifting left"—integrating QA earlier in the development process. This approach represents a fundamental change in how we think about quality:

• QA involvement in initial design discussions and requirements gathering
• Early identification of potential issues before code is written
• Collaboration between developers and QA on test strategy during development
• Integration of testing into the development process rather than treating it as a final step
• Continuous feedback loops throughout the development cycle

This shift not only reduces the cost of fixing issues but also leads to better-designed, more robust software from the start. By involving QA professionals early, teams can identify and address potential problems before they become expensive fixes.

The Bottom Line: Quality is Moving Upstream

The common thread across these trends is clear: quality assurance is moving upstream in the development process. Whether it's accessibility, AI adoption, or user-centric development, we're seeing a shift from reactive quality control to proactive quality assurance.

This shift requires a new mindset from all stakeholders:

• Product teams need to embrace user research and accessibility requirements from day one
• Development teams need to think about quality while writing code
• QA teams need to be involved earlier in the development process, providing insights and guidance before code is written

For organizations ready to embrace these trends, the benefits are substantial: better products, happier users, and more efficient development processes. However, this transformation requires more than just new tools or processes—it requires a fundamental shift in how we think about quality in software development.

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