Subject areaChannels and tools
Tree testing is the method that checks whether the navigation structure of a website makes sense.
Users see a bare text version of the menu, with no graphics and no content, and are asked to find a specific item: where they take the wrong path, there is a point of confusion to correct.
The method isolates the hierarchy of sections from everything else. So when a user gets lost, the cause lies in the names and order of the items, not in the page design. It belongs to the testing and iteration phase of a website structure, next to usability tests with real users.
An example
A chemical company asks a group of customers to find the safety data sheet of a solvent starting only from the text list of sections: if almost everyone looks for it under "Products" and it sits under "Documentation", the menu is reordered before the pages are designed.
broader entriesthis entry and narrowertwo levels down← up · → down
Enrico Giubertoni. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0: you may quote, translate and adapt this entry with the author’s name and a link, stating any changes. For commercial use, write to info@enricogiubertoni.com
Spotted an inaccuracy or something that needs updating? Write to info@enricogiubertoni.com and help make this glossary a better place.
What are your business challenges?
Tell us about your priorities and the objectives you want to reach.
You will receive a free, targeted answer within one working day.