Tree Testing

Tree Testing is a quantitative, task-based validation method for evaluating information architecture and navigation structures. Users are presented with a text-only representation of a website or app hierarchy (a tree) and asked to locate specific items or complete tasks by clicking through the structure. Unlike card sorting, which reveals user mental models during design, tree testing validates whether a proposed structure allows users to find items efficiently. The method captures success rate, time-to-completion, and paths taken, providing metrics for comparing navigation designs.