Let’s take a step back now and look at how we can fit card sorting and tree testing into our overall design process.

If you’ve been given a reasonable amount of time to create your site tree, this is the approach we recommend:

• diagram of research and design phases (start with card sorting, baseline tree testing, other research. create 2-3 trees, test, revise best tree, re-test, document)

There are several advantages to this “full-fat” approach:

• Card sorting generates ideas for our new tree – ideas that come from actual users, not just the project team.
  
  
• Baseline tree testing shows us what needs fixing (and what doesn’t), and gives us a score to measure against later.
  
  
• Two rounds of testing for the new trees lets us experiment, refine, and raise our chances of creating an optimal design.
  
  
  

All of us have worked on a project where we were not given that “reasonable” amount of time to do what was needed. So sometimes we have to cut corners.

If you are really pressed for time, but loath the idea of creating a site tree without some form of validation, here’s an abbreviated approach that may fit your schedule better:

• diagram of minimal version – single round with baseline and a single new tree

Next: Comparing to other IA methods