Tree testing: complete guide to improve UX

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Did you realize that imprecise navigation might drive clients away? According to Forbes, unclear website labels confuse and cause sales loss. 

Tree testing provides a tool for streamlining and validating web navigation. You can use this strategy to ensure your labels and categories are understandable to your audience. Learn how this strategy can improve user experience, eliminate confusion, and help you keep customers on your digital platform. 

What is tree testing?

A tree test simulates the navigation structure of a website or application. It assesses the findability of topics or features. Imagine a library system. Each area contains books sorted according to distinct issues. A tree test functions similarly. It does not display the design or layout. Instead, it provides a textual representation of the site’s structure.  

Tree Testing identifies areas where users lose their path in your navigation. It is a concentrated way to assess a website’s navigational structure. 

Participants navigate the structure. They search for things or information as they would in real life, trying to see if they can easily find things without visual aids. This method identifies navigational difficulties and improves the user experience. 

To create a tree test, you need two components: 

1. The Tree is a hierarchical menu displayed as a succession of accordions. It shows the site’s navigation categories with no design or content. 

2. The Tasks are attainable goals that users may wish to accomplish, such as purchasing a new saucepan or reviewing last month’s phone bill. 

Participants can view subcategories by clicking on a category. They navigate through the tree until they believe they have attained the task’s goal. This technique necessitates no prototypes, designs, images, or written content. 

Tree testing vs card sorting

Card sorting involves giving users a list of representative content items to organize and label as they see fit. Users must locate a specific item within a category tree in tree testing.

Card sorting is a generative method for determining potential groupings for your categories or material. It captures users’ mental models of what belongs together, why, and what to call these groups, but there are better ways of evaluating a navigation hierarchy.

On the other hand, tree testing is a way to analyze a prospective navigation hierarchy; you must first design and name the entire category structure before testing it, but it can indicate whether users can find crucial resources inside your proposed structure.

Tree testing in UX methods

Tree testing distinguishes it from other UX testing methods, which provide various perspectives on user experience and usability. 

First-click testing

It tracks the first click in a task, which is critical for completion. This testing can supplement tree testing by demonstrating where users expect to start their journey.  

Heatmaps

These are frequently created by first-click testing and eye-tracking software. They display where people click, move, and scroll when interacting with a page. Heatmaps show how users interact with a designed interface, whereas tree testing focuses on navigation paths. 

Usability testing

Observers monitor how consumers interact with your product to perform tasks. Unlike tree testing, this approach considers design, content, and interactions. Tree testing is helpful for early IA checks, while usability testing provides a more comprehensive picture of the user experience. 

A/B testing

This analyzes two versions of a page or application to see which users prefer. It best suits design decisions, whereas tree testing focuses on the IA beneath the design. 

Benefits of tree testing

It is efficient. A tree test is quick and efficient. It can be set up, conducted, and analyzed in less than a week. 

There is no need for a prototype. To get started, you only need a subject tree, some tasks, and participants, making it ideal for early testing. 

Focuses on structure: Tree testing isolates the site structure for analysis. It creates a firm basis for subsequent design elements. 

Tree testing outperforms closed card sorting. It provides a more realistic assessment than closed card sorting and efficiently assesses all three levels. 

Provides objective evaluation. You receive quantifiable feedback on your headlines and phrases. This supplemented the qualitative user feedback and stakeholder viewpoints. 

Recruitment is less expensive and more convenient. Tree exams can last 10 to 15 minutes. This means locating and compensating participants will be considerably easier than with hour-long usability assessments. 

When to use tree testing?

Product development

Information architecture is essential when designing a new website, mobile app, or digital platform. Tree testing allows you to evaluate and check the usefulness of your proposed structure without having to design, create, or code. You can do this before committing time and resources to development. 

Start of a redesign

Early in the redesign process, tree testing allows you to determine how well your current IA configuration functions. It identifies issue areas that must be addressed. Unlike typical usability tests, which look at design and feel, tree testing focuses on making items easier to find.  

After card sorting

Card sorting, a technique used to assist in developing or analyzing a site’s information architecture, determines how people interpret the terms in your navigation. It reports explicitly the frequency with which word pairs are clustered and offers navigation patterns that take advantage of these pairings. 

However, it only gives a definitive navigation structure if all participants have the same viewpoint. Testing your structure after card sorting ensures that it functions properly for users. 

Tree testing examples

A TV streaming service may ask participants to find out how to upgrade their account plan to add more devices.

An online grocery store may ask users to find out how to add a new payment method or modify their delivery window.

The objective of using a bus service app could be to find the next bus stop at their neighborhood station.

Users may receive instructions from a tech business on adjusting their laptop’s screensaver by navigating to the settings page.

How to conduct a tree test?

Step 1: Create a plan for user research

When conducting a tree test, you should first prepare your site’s structure, assign tasks to users, and specify the essential metrics you will track so you can evaluate the information you collect.

Remember that your participants will only be provided the text version of the website during the tree testing session, and they will be required to complete tasks that require them to locate specific objects on the website.

It is advised that you keep these sessions brief—between 15 and 20 minutes—and limit the number of tasks participants must do to 10.

Step 2: Define the tree structure

Begin by outlining your site’s or app’s tree structure, including categories, subcategories, and pages. Being detailed about your subcategories is vital since it encourages actual user behavior.

For example, a category in the navigation could be named Resources. Subcategory menu structure options include Blog, Help Center, and Guides.

Even if you want to test a specific aspect of your product, ensure your target audience knows how it pertains to the whole product. This will provide you with practical information to act on while examining your results.

Step 3: Create a series of goal-based tasks.

Create activities for participants to locate a page in a tree using a top-down method. When conducting tree test research, it is critical to write suitable tasks.

For example, if you want to test the discoverability of your product’s upgrade page, you can assign participants to determine the best approach to update the product. 

Other effective practices for developing outstanding tasks include making tasks actionable, creating a situation, and avoiding providing detailed directions to minimize bias.

Step 4: Recruit participants.

One factor to consider when planning a tree test is the participants you will be working with. The number of participants is determined by several criteria, including the type of testing being conducted, the target group for your product, the level of confidence required, and the project’s purpose.

The key to picking the correct participants is to know your target audience and determine who will be most affected if you make changes to your design.

Step 5: Choose the tree testing method.

Tree testing can be done in person or remotely. The advantage of in-person, moderated testing is that you may ask participants why they chose specific options—or any other pertinent questions that arise at the moment.

On the other hand, remote testing has the advantage of being quick and straightforward. Testers will simply need a web browser to participate, and they can do so from anywhere, at any time, without your presence.

Step 6: Conduct a pilot run.

Before your official tree test session, you should conduct a pilot test to ensure that it is sound and performs as intended.

This will allow you to reduce the danger of missing critical details, adapt your directions, and gain more meaningful insights for future sessions.

Pilot runs are helpful because they provide new views on the topic. You can determine what is missing or confusing, making you better prepared for the session.

Step 7: Run a tree test.

If you opt to conduct tree testing as remote, unmoderated research, the testing tool will provide you with a URL to the test that you can share with participants.

You can also follow up on the tree test with survey questions that participants will answer after or before completing the job. The questions can enhance the user research data you need to know about the participants, such as demographics or product familiarity.

Step 8: Understanding the tree testing results

Typically, KPIs for a tree test include success rate, directness, average time to accomplish a task, and user path.

Success rate: the percentage of users who finished the assignment.

Directness: The percentage of participants who finished the job without hesitation and got the correct answer the first time.

Time: how long it took participants to complete an activity.

Path: the routes participants walked up and down the tree before choosing an answer.

These results frequently refer back to questions like:

“Where did participants believe they would discover your content?”

“Did they find the navigation or phrasing unclear?”

“Which paths did they take first?”

“Where did they back up and try a new path?”

“How long did it take them?”

Analyzing the accumulated data allows you to evaluate or invalidate your ideas and develop user-friendly navigation.

Tree testing tools

You must use the appropriate tree testing tool to conduct effective UX research. Consider tips for tools that stand out. 

User testing

User Testing is a human insights platform that focuses on video capturing. It facilitates the design process for digital tools by providing insights into the target audience’s behavior across several experiences and explanations for these behaviors. 

Optimal workshop treejack 

Optimal Workshop is a user-experience research platform that combines testing, participant recruitment, and product feature analysis in one place. Its tree testing tool is Treejack. It assists in identifying incorrectly positioned menu items. You can then correct the errors to establish an understandable information architecture. 

UXtweak

UXtweak is a research platform that provides various techniques to improve user experience. It allows users to create complex studies and custom tasks and examine findings using powerful segmentation and filtering. You can produce and distribute detailed PDF reports to collaborate with teams or clients. You can also create studies from scratch, import data for testing, and gain insights with accuracy.  

UXmetrics

UXmetrics provides a powerful tool for refining and validating information architecture. It supports remote and in-person testing, has a simple setup process, and includes visual breadcrumbs for easy path tracing.  

Maze

Maze is a user testing platform that provides immediate, actionable insights via remote, unmoderated testing. It streamlines testing prototypes, validating concepts, and gathering user input. The tool works with design tools to streamline workflows. It is suitable for iterative testing and decision-making during the design phase. 

Conclusion

Tree testing is helpful during the various stages of product development. With the insights gained from tree testing, you have a clear path forward. Based on feedback, improve your information architecture to make your website or app more intuitive and user-friendly. 

Frequently asked questions

What is the goal of tree testing?

Tree testing aims to determine if users can successfully find information within the website hierarchy. By conducting tree tests, researchers can identify and address any navigational issues that may hinder users from quickly and efficiently locating the information they need. 

What is the difference between card testing and tree testing? 

The main difference between card and tree testing lies in their focus and approach. Card testing is more about how users categorize and group information, while tree testing evaluates the effectiveness of a website’s navigation structure. Both methods are valuable in understanding user behavior and enhancing the overall user experience.

How do you create tasks for a tree test?

1. Identify User Goals: Focus on what users want to achieve.
2. Common Scenarios: Base tasks on real-world usage.
3. Clear and Specific: Ensure tasks are straightforward and unambiguous.
4. Natural Language: Use user-friendly language, avoiding jargon.
5. No Clues: Keep tasks neutral to avoid hinting at the correct path.
6. Variety of Tasks: Cover different sections of the hierarchy.
7. Prioritize Key Areas: Focus on essential or frequently used sections.

Is tree testing qualitative? 

Tree testing can provide both qualitative and quantitative insights. Qualitative data in tree testing may include feedback on users’ thought processes, preferences, and difficulties encountered while navigating the website’s structure. 

Conversely, quantitative data in tree testing is often used to measure success rates, task completion times, and the efficiency of the navigation system.

Therefore, tree testing can yield qualitative and quantitative data, making it valuable for evaluating and improving website navigation structures.