Card Sorting VS Tree Testing

Card Sorting and Tree Testing are the ultimate UX research methods to use for testing website’s information architecture. But which one should you choose and when? Or maybe you need both? Let’s find out in this quick card sorting vs tree testing comparison.

You are probably already familiar with both of these information architecture testing methods. If not, you can learn everything you need to know about card sorting on this website and visit tree testing web.

Here’s a quick summary of each method:

Card Sorting – a UX research method used to test the information architecture of the website or app, in which study participants group individual labels into different categories according to the criteria that make sense to them. Each label represents a content item that needs to be categorized. The  results provide you with deep insights on creating an intuitive navigation, comprehensive labelling and user-friendly content organization.

card sorting for information architecture

Tree Testing – (a.k.a reverse card sort) a UX research method used to test the information architecture of the website or app. In Tree Testing participants are presented with a website structure and a set of tasks they need to complete. The goal of the study is to click through the structure and try to find the card relevant to the task. It shows whether the structure of your website corresponds with what users would imagine it to be and if all the content is grouped according to their expectations.

If you want to learn more about tree testing, I recommend visiting https://www.tree-testing.com/

tree testing for information architecture

What are the differences between Card Sorting and Tree Testing?

So what is the main difference between these two testing methods? 

Card sorting is a technique which helps to gather all types of insights about your content categorization. What items go best together, what are the options for labelling, what categories users expect to find in your menu etc.

 A simple card sorting can give you all that information and so much more. In other words, you start understanding your user’s thoughts and expectations and get enough information for creating several different IA models that could potentially work.

Tree Testing, as we already know, is a reverse process. It evaluates an already existing information architecture or the one you created based on the results of a card sort, defines the perfect structure and simply shows you what works and what doesn’t. 

With tree testing you will find out if all the info is easy to find and go through, how comprehensible your labels are, if users get lost on your website and where exactly does this happen.

What comes first: Card Sorting or Tree Testing?

Card sorting is a universal technique that will be useful at any stage of the development process, from prototyping to production. Moreover, you can test an already running website and find out if the navigation needs any improvements. It can be just as well used to sort specific items based on a set criteria, you can read more about it in this article. The same goes for tree testing. It doesn’t matter what stage of the development process you are in right now, as long as you have a structured IA to test.

However, when you decide to implement both of the methods in your research (which you should and I’ll explain why below) card sorting should come before the tree test.

Gather insights first, evaluate second.

What method should you use?

If you’re already on this page, fine-tuning the information architecture should be a priority task for you. And that’s right, because intuitive IA is an integral component of a user-friendly website. 

So, if you are wondering which one should you use: Card Sorting or Tree Testing, the answer is easy. 

Use both. Just like many great things, these techniques work best together. Complementing each other, they allow you to get much deeper insights and better improvements than when used separately. Moreover, there are some great online testing tools that offer both Card Sorting and Tree Testing, check them out in this list.

Want To Learn More About Card Sorting?

Check Out The Card Sorting Pricing Comparison Page

Card Sorting VS Tree Testing

Card Sorting and Tree Testing are the ultimate UX research methods to use for testing website’s information architecture. But which one should you choose and when? Or maybe you need both? Let’s find out in this quick card sorting vs tree testing comparison.

You are probably already familiar with both of these information architecture testing methods. If not, you can learn everything you need to know about card sorting on this website and visit tree testing web.

Here’s a quick summary of each method:

Card Sorting – a UX research method used to test the information architecture of the website or app, in which study participants group individual labels into different categories according to the criteria that make sense to them. Each label represents a content item that needs to be categorized. The  results provide you with deep insights on creating an intuitive navigation, comprehensive labelling and user-friendly content organization.

card sorting for information architecture

Tree Testing – (a.k.a reverse card sort) a UX research method used to test the information architecture of the website or app. In Tree Testing participants are presented with a website structure and a set of tasks they need to complete. The goal of the study is to click through the structure and try to find the card relevant to the task. It shows whether the structure of your website corresponds with what users would imagine it to be and if all the content is grouped according to their expectations.

tree testing for information architecture

What are the differences between Card Sorting and Tree Testing?

So what is the main difference between these two testing methods? 

Card sorting is a technique which helps to gather all types of insights about your content categorization. What items go best together, what are the options for labelling, what categories users expect to find in your menu etc.

 A simple card sorting can give you all that information and so much more. In other words, you start understanding your user’s thoughts and expectations and get enough information for creating several different IA models that could potentially work.

Tree Testing, as we already know, is a reverse process. It evaluates an already existing information architecture or the one you created based on the results of a card sort, defines the perfect structure and simply shows you what works and what doesn’t. 

With tree testing you will find out if all the info is easy to find and go through, how comprehensible your labels are, if users get lost on your website and where exactly does this happen.

What comes first: Card Sorting or Tree Testing?

Card sorting is a universal technique that will be useful at any stage of the development process, from prototyping to production. Moreover, you can test an already running website and find out if the navigation needs any improvements. It can be just as well used to sort specific items based on a set criteria, you can read more about it in this article. The same goes for tree testing. It doesn’t matter what stage of the development process you are in right now, as long as you have a structured IA to test.

However, when you decide to implement both of the methods in your research (which you should and I’ll explain why below) card sorting should come before the tree test.

Gather insights first, evaluate second.

What method should you use?

If you’re already on this page, fine-tuning the information architecture should be a priority task for you. And that’s right, because intuitive IA is an integral component of a user-friendly website. 

So, if you are wondering which one should you use: Card Sorting or Tree Testing, the answer is easy. 

Use both. Just like many great things, these techniques work best together. Complementing each other, they allow you to get much deeper insights and better improvements than when used separately. Moreover, there are some great online testing tools that offer both Card Sorting and Tree Testing, check them out in this list.

Want To Learn More About Card Sorting?

Check Out The Card Sorting Pricing Comparison Page