Protocol
Test the navigation before polishing the page
A beautiful menu can still send people to the wrong shelf.
When it fits
- A growing content library has plausible categories but uncertain findability.
When to avoid it
- Tree testing deliberately removes visual context. A good result still needs validation in the built interface.
Why it matters
Represent the navigation as a simple text hierarchy. Give participants realistic information needs and let them choose a destination. Record routes, backtracking and final choices before changing the labels or structure.
Steps
- Choose important retrieval tasks, including items that could plausibly belong in two places.
- Keep task wording independent of the category labels.
- Review mistaken routes, revise one suspected grouping or label, and test fresh tasks or participants.
An example
For a corpus library, ask where to find help checking an AI-generated answer, not where to find AI assurance.
Check your result
Can people reach a useful destination without relying on images or moderator hints?
Keep this limit in mind
- Tree testing deliberately removes visual context. A good result still needs validation in the built interface.
Connected ideas
Compare withLet users group the content before naming the categoriesUseful with
Give the user a goal and keep your instructions out of the result
Evidence and sources
Supports
Tree testing evaluates whether people can locate destinations in a hierarchy without the visual interface.
Visual cues and interaction behavior remain outside this test.
Tree Testing: Fast, Iterative Evaluation of Menu Labels and Categories · Text-only tree and task procedure.