Tree Testing for Websites

• "What is tree testing?"

• "How does it improve my website?"

• "How do I run a good tree test?"

Tree Testing for Websites is a community guide to the "tree test" method - a quick, quantitative way to make things easier to find on your website.

• If you're just getting started, this guide offers step-by-step instructions for running a good tree test and analyzing the results.
• If you have previously run tree tests, you'll find tips on how to run more advanced (and more effective) tests, and solutions to the most common mistakes that people make.
• If you have additional tree-testing wisdom to share, become a contributor to this guide!

 1 - Getting our users unlost

• Two designers, two approaches
• Good IA starts with an effective site tree
• Why search is not enough
• Chapter 1 - key points

2 - Tree testing - a quick intro

• What is tree testing?
• Why run a tree test?
• When should we do a tree test?
• How long will it take?
• Which types of sites are most suitable?
• What are the basic steps?
• Chapter 2 - key points

3 - IA in the design process

• How does IA fit into design?
• How does tree testing fit into design?
• The research phase
• The design phase: creating new trees
• The design phase: going wide
• The design phase: going deep
• Putting it all together
• Comparing to other IA methods
• Chapter 3 - key points

4 - Planning a tree test

• Why are we running this test?
• How many rounds of testing?
• Which trees will we test?
• Who will we test?
• When will we test?
• Where will we test?
• Who will do what?
• How will we handle problems?
• Documenting our plan
• Chapter 4 - key points
• Which tool will we use?

5 - Creating trees

• Basing new trees on research
• Common schemes to organize sites
• Combining and flipping schemes
• Wide/shallow vs. narrow/deep
• Labelling and terminology
• Team-sourcing ideas
• Roughing out alternative trees
• Picking candidate trees to test
• Posing questions about tree elements
• More on creating trees
• Chapter 5 - key points

6 - Preparing a tree for testing

• Working in an electronic format
• Which part of the tree?
• Which headings to include/exclude?
• Spotting missing content
• Dealing with shortcuts and duplicated content
• Breaking up double-level topics
• Using link names instead of page titles
• What to call “Home”
• Transferring the tree to a testing app
• Chapter 6 - key points

7 - Writing tasks

• Which tasks to include?
• How many tasks?
• Mapping tasks to the tree
• Different tasks for different user groups
• Collaborating on tasks
• Writing a good task
• Identifying correct answers
• Entering tasks and their answers
• Randomizing the order of tasks
• Letting participants skip tasks
• Asking questions after a task
• Chapter 7 - key points

8 - Setting up a test

• Naming the test
• Disguising the test address
• Selecting languages
• Password-protecting the test
• Setting closing rules
• Redirecting after the test
• Setting up the tree and tasks
• Writing supporting text
• Adding survey questions
• Choosing a visual look
• Providing a support contact
• Alerting the organization about our study
• Chapter 8 - key points

9 - Recruiting participants

• How many participants?
• Different user groups
• Using web ads
• Using email lists
• Using social media
• Using commercial panels
• Using integrated recruitment tools
• Other ways to recruit
• Dealing with selection bias
• Coordinating audiences and channels
• Screening for specific participants
• Restricting access with a password
• Writing a good invitation
• Offering incentives
• Recruiting for in-person sessions
• Chapter 9 - key points

10 - Piloting the test

• Trying out the task wording
• Previewing a test
• Running a pilot test
• Checking for technical problems
• Revising the test
• Chapter 10 - key points

11 - Running the test

• Splitting users randomly among tests
• Launching the test(s)
• Monitoring the test's progress
• Keeping stakeholders informed
• Asking “why?” with in-person sessions
• Closing the test
• Chapter 11 - key points

12 - Analyzing results

• Cleaning the data
• Sharing the data
• Reviewing overall results
• Analyzing by task
• Analyzing by branches
• Analyzing by user group or other criteria
• Discovering evil attractors
• Chapter 12 - key points

13 - Communicating results

• Recording findings
• Turning findings into actions
• Summing up the basics
• Reporting in more depth
• Passing along participant feedback
• Chapter 13 - key points

14 - Revising and retesting

• Revising trees
• Cherrypicking and hybrid trees
• Rewording and replacing tasks
• Tuning survey questions
• Using fresh participants
• When are we done?
• Chapter 14 - key points

15 - Special considerations

• Testing trees for mobile apps
• Multi-language testing
• Tree testing in Agile/Lean projects
• Tree testing on paper
• Chapter 15 - key points

16 - Beyond tree testing

• Testing navigation
• Testing search
• Testing visual design
• Testing content
• Testing overall usability
• Chapter 16 - key points

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