SWE 205 In-Class Exercise

Names:
Work with your group. We won't synch back up afterwards with actual trunk tests; instead, that will happen Thursday when groups present their reports. Instead, we'll take a few minutes to share tips for effective trunk testing.

The purpose of today's exercise is preparation: Let's have some really great trunk test reports Thursday!

One way to think of Krug's trunk test is as a super light-weight part of the usability testing he describes in Chapter 9. If you remember anything from this class 6 months from now, it should be how important and doable usability testing is.

Today's exercise is practicing the trunk test on sites other than the one you have chosen for your Thursday assignment.

Here's what to do:

  1. Choose 3 "deep" web pages. The idea is to span a range.
    • A page from a household hardware site (e.g. doorknobs)
    • A form page (e.g. signing up for a subscription)
    • A page of your choosing.
    Note: if someone at your table has designed a web page, you should definitely consider using that.

  2. Apply the trunk test:
    • Someone at the table should perform the test. Remember to squint!
    • Someone at the table should prompt for each of the 6 items.
      • Site ID
      • Page Name
      • Sections (Primary navigation)
      • Local navigation
      • "You are here" indicators
      • Search
    • Someone at the table should capture the result, both accuracy and time (this doesn't have to be precise; try to capture "reasonable" vs. "struggled to find stuff").
    • Note anything that is missing, and describe whether that is ok.

In terms of what to turn in today, list