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Web Process in Action - Exercise

Explaining Web-Based Business Applications with the Web Interaction Model

Objective: Practice using the Web Interaction Model to explain how resources are requested and received during a real-world web transaction.

Scoring

You will receive 5 points for this exercise. This exercise is auto-scored. When you are finished, click Submit to view the suggested results and receive full credit.


Instructions

  1. Open a second browser window and go to amazon.com.
  2. Walk through the steps of finding a book to purchase. Stop before entering payment information.
  3. As you perform each step, record what you did (your action) and what the system did (what changed on the page).
  4. For each step, identify how the five layers contributed:
    • Signs and Metaphors
    • Information Architecture
    • Software
    • Networks and the Internet
    • Hardware
  5. Using your notes, answer the three questions below. When you are finished, submit your response to see suggested results.

Questions

  1. Describe how each of the five layers contributed to what you saw on the amazon.com home page (Signs and Metaphors, Information Architecture, Software, Networks and the Internet, Hardware).
  2. Compare the first two steps you performed. Which layers contributed different elements in step 1 vs step 2? Which layers contributed elements that were similar or identical?
  3. Pick two of the five layers to analyze more deeply. Explain what goes into building that layer and/or what is happening behind the scenes as you use it during your final step.