November 2024. After months of development, a first symbolic milestone is approaching. The PermaTechnics application is about to pass into the hands of the people it was designed for. <\/p>\n
Testing starts on 18 November. Seven market gardeners agree to spend time exploring the tool. The team watches from a distance, by video call. Nicolas guides, Morgan takes notes.<\/p>\n
The profiles vary: Fanny, a market gardener for 15 years. Milan and his partner Laura, recently set up on a micro-farm. Other growers of diversified vegetables, each with their own practices, habits and expectations.<\/p>\n
The first few minutes say a lot. Hesitant clicks, steps retraced, questions. Normal. The interface is new, the reflexes still have to be built. <\/p>\n
Technical bugs appear, unavoidable at this stage. But beyond the immediate frustrations, the testers’ feedback converges on the essentials. The application is genuinely useful, it answers a real need.<\/p>\n
Seen that way, some of the feedback already has value. One telling example: several market gardeners would like their seed requirements calculated automatically from the plantings they have set. A gap that looks obvious once it is pointed out.<\/p>\n
Other comments widen the perspective. “Is it possible to have a paper version?” The team had not thought of it from that angle. In the field, with soil on your hands, paper can certainly be useful. <\/p>\n
The tests reveal how much ground is left to cover. The application works, but it still needs work to become the smooth and intuitive tool everyone wants.<\/p>\n
Even so, something important emerges. The market gardeners can see the potential. The overall view the tool could give them: “Having everything in front of you is reassuring.” Others appreciate the structure on offer, even if the execution still needs polishing.<\/p>\n
Those tests were a key stage. Frustrating at times, rich in lessons. They feed both the technical development and the vision of the project. The team gets a better grasp of the real needs and of the priorities to set.<\/p>\n
In January 2025, armed with those lessons, the team will meet in Lille to turn scattered feedback into a structured roadmap.<\/p>\n
The first tests confirmed the initial intuition while measuring the road ahead. Between technical frustrations and a shared vision, they laid the foundations the project needed.<\/i><\/p>\n
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Coming next: how do you turn user feedback into clear priorities in the roadmap?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n