Tree Testing
Test your navigation structure before building a single pixel.
What is it?
Tree testing evaluates the findability of topics in your information architecture. Participants are given tasks and navigate a text-only version of your site hierarchy, revealing where people get lost without visual design influencing their behavior.
When to use it
Use tree testing after card sorting to validate your proposed IA, during a redesign to test navigation changes, or whenever users report difficulty finding content.
How to do it
Create a simplified text-only version of your navigation tree.
Write realistic task scenarios: 'Where would you find your order history?'
Recruit 50+ participants for statistically reliable results.
Measure success rate, directness (first click accuracy), and time to complete.
Identify problem areas and iterate on the structure.
Pro tips
Test with real task wording that users would use, not internal jargon.
Combine with card sorting: sort first, then validate the structure with tree testing.