2 - Tree testing - a quick intro

“Tree testing is like analytics for a site you haven't built yet." - Sam Ng

This chapter is a short overview of tree testing – what it is, why and when to use it, and what the basic steps are.By the end of this chapter, we should have a general idea of how tree testing works, and whether it might be a good addition to our own UX toolkit.

What is tree testing?

About trees, tasks, paper vs. online, and synonyms

Why run a tree test?

5 reasons to try this method on our next IA project

When should we do a tree test?

The earlier, the better - ideally before we even have a site design

How long will it take?

Simple test = 1 week. Full-fat test = 2-3 weeks

Which types of sites are most suitable?

Sites with traditional headings and subheadings, where the nav reflects the tree

What are the basic steps?

Planning, prepping the tree(s), writing tasks, recruiting, running, and analyzing the results

Key points

Next: Chapter 3 - IA in the design process