Simon recently sent out a challenge to spend ten minutes exploring the MoT My Reports page. It seemed like a good excuse to try out my new exploratory testing template, so I decided to give it a go.
I used Markmap to create the mind map in the image. Markmap is a tool that converts Markdown into a mind map, where each header or list item is turned into a node in the mind map. I'm a big fan of it as you don't need to worry about awkwardly connecting things up through a UI, and it's much easier to restructure if you decide to move things around (which is something I do constantly 🫠). There's a nice export function in the VS Code plugin where you can export as HTML, to share with others who aren't set up to open the raw Markdown in VS Code.
I feel like it worked pretty well, but trying to shoehorn all findings under Issues and Questions was a bit limiting. I've updated the template to use PQIP instead, which will hopefully make things clearer next time I use it.
Here's the new template if anyone wants to try it out:
```markdown
---
markmap:
colorFreezeLevel: 3
maxWidth: 320
initialExpandLevel: 2
activeNode: center
---
# [exploratory testing charter name]
## 📋 Session Info
- **Tester(s):** [name(s)]
- **Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Duration:** [30 / 60 / 90 mins]
- **Environment:** [environment name]
## 🎯 Mission
- **Explore:** [target system / feature]
- **Using:** [resources / tools / personas]
- **To Discover:** [information]
## 🏗️ Setup & Data
- [ ] [list of notable setup / data points]
## 📝 Notes
- [make notes as you progress through the session]
## 🕵️ Findings
- **⚠️ Problems**:
- [list of problems]
- **❓ Questions**:
- [list of questions]
- **💡 Ideas**:
- [list of ideas]
- **🙌 Praise**:
- [list of praise]
## 🏁 Debrief
- **Coverage:** [sumamry of coverage]
- **Next Steps:**
- [ ] [do something]
```
