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We can now sketch out some new structures to test. Let’s take a look at the most common ways sites are organized, and some common tactics that can help us create our own trees.
Combining schemes
When you start creating a site tree, you will usually play with various kinds of top-level groups, probably trying some of the variations described above.
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- diagram of audience>geography tree
Flipping schemes
Another common tactic is to flip the primary and secondary navigation, to see if it fits the content better.
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But, if it looks reasonable, and we’re not sure how well it will work with users, it’s probably worth testing both versions in side-by-side tree tests.
Wide/shallow vs. narrow/deep
When we create site trees, a common question is “Should we create a shallow tree with lots of headings at the same level, or a deep tree with fewer choices at each level?”
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For more on this, check out Kathryn Whitenton’s excellent article on Flat vs. Deep Website Hierarchies.
Team-sourcing ideas
If you’re working with a project team, you have an advantage in generating ideas for site trees – other people’s brains.
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Using a shared spreadsheet means that we don’t have to email spreadsheets to each other, and each person can “peek” at what others are doing to help them get going.
Roughing out alternative trees
When we “rough out” a site tree, it means that we create a quick-and-dirty site structure in an hour or less.
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