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Tree testing

Enhance content findability with this quantitative user research technique.

What is Tree Testing?

Ever found yourself lost on a website? That's where Tree Testing shines. It's a usability technique used to evaluate a site's structure, determining how easy (or difficult) it is to find content. Primarily a quantitative methodology, it guides informed decisions about hierarchical categorization and is sometimes termed "Inverse Card Sorting."

In Tree Testing, users locate elements within a content hierarchy. Its effectiveness lies in emphasizing findability, focusing solely on Information Architecture and wording, devoid of design influences. Hence, simplicity is paramount — no elaborate designs or wireframes that might influence participants.

While Tree Tests are typically conducted remotely, they can also be incorporated into in-person studies

The results from a tree testing exercise show what paths -whether correct or incorrect - participants took when they tried to find specific contents in a web structure.

After running a tree testing, you will learn, among others:

Findability success: how many users have found the correct category
Directness: how many users went directly to the correct category
Time spent: how much time it took to complete the task
First click rates: the category that was selected first the most times.

All this data will give you clarity on the effectiveness of your information structure, highlighting areas for improvement and ensuring a more user-friendly online experience"

When to run a Tree testing

You've restructured the content on your health and wellness website, but you're unsure if users can find topics easily.

A tree test reveals that many users struggle to locate diet-related articles as they expect them under 'Nutrition' and not 'Healthy Living'. By adjusting your content hierarchy based on these insights, user navigation improves, and with it, page views for the diet-related articles.

What it is like to run a tree testing study with TeaCup Lab?

When we work with you:

We'll connect with your team to understand your product and your objectives.
Design the study
Provide the necessary tools and handle the setup.
Recruit and compensate the participants.
Monitor the fieldwork phase and eliminate low-quality answers.
Analyze the results and deliver a report with precise recommendations on how to improve your Information Architecture.

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Learn more about Tree testing

Billboard with copy "You're not lost you are here"

July 30, 2020

Quick guide on Information Architecture (IA)

User Research & Testing / by Mónica Bohigas

More ways of testing and optimizing your product

Testing and optimization are key to creating exceptional user experiences.

We provide thorough testing to find where changes can make a difference and help your products be successful.
Our experienced UX researchers offer clear insights, both qualitative and quantitative, and recommendations to help you continually improve your experiences.