About me
• User experience freelancer – information
architecture, interaction design etc
• Far too long (10+ years)
• Run UX Australia & other conferences
• @maadonna
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What is IA testing (or tree testing)?
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Test your information architecture
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But do it before it’s built!
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Do it as early as you can
Research Design IA
Design
navigation
Prepare
content
Launch
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How does it work?
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In person
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Or online
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Or both
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Preparing & running the test
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Preparation: The IA
• Need a simple hierarchy
• Or two...
• OK to put some items in two places
• Can test just subcategories, or to pages
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Preparation: The tasks
• Figure out what you want to test
• Write tasks
• In general, user-friendly language
• OK to have a long list of tasks for good
coverage
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Preparation: The people
• Standard issues for recruitment!
• If using online, offer an incentive
• For online, you need volume to get good
results
• As you can’t probe to find out what people are
thinking
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Preparation: The tool
• Write out cards for face-to-face
• Online
• Enter the IA (Treejack: paste from a spreadsheet)
• Enter tasks
• Identify ‘correct’ locations
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Preparation: The tool
• Settings
• Randomise tasks to avoid a consistent learning
effect
• 6-8 tasks per person maximum
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Recording results: Tool
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Analysing the results
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Analysis
• Check what happened with each task
• Check what happened in each part of the IA
• Identify tasks/IA sections that worked:
• Well
• Badly
• OK
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The important part: Analysis
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The important part: Analysis
Legend - Pies
Legend - Lines
Went down the right path
Went down the wrong path
Went back
This is the correct answer
Skipped question
Correct path
Incorrect path
Soft furnishings
Participants came here 1 time
and clicked:
Home
Home décor
Soft furnishings
Interior Decorative Bowls & Plates
Kitchen
Cookware Curry Pots
Servingware Coasters & Mats
Dinner Plates & Bowls
Serving Bowls
Trays & Platters
Cups, mugs & glasses
Kitchen Accessories Kitchen Accessories
Food & drink Food
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The important part: Analysis
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The important part: Analysis
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The important part: Analysis
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Analysis
• Check what happened with each task
• Check what happened in each part of the IA
• Identify tasks/IA sections that worked:
• Well
• Badly
• OK
• Can be hard to figure out why things
happened
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Find scented candles - Christmas?
Legend - Pies
Legend - Lines
Went down the right path
Went down the wrong path
Went back
This is the correct answer
Skipped question
Correct path
Incorrect path
Home
Participants came here 40 times
and clicked:
Correct path 34 (85%)
Incorrect path 6 (15%)
Back from here 0 (0%)
Nominated answer 0 (0%)
Skip task 0 (0%)
Home
Home décor
Soft furnishings
Interior Candles & Holders
Relaxation
Essential Oils
Incense & Holders
Office
Kitchen
Christmas
Christmas Catalogue
Christmas Decorations
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Tips
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Tips
• Test your test
• Easy to make mistakes with the tree, correct
answers and tasks
• Test two versions
• Easier to interpret results
• Tweaks to one version
• Entirely different approaches
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No content
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Tips
• Test your test
• Easy to make mistakes with the tree, correct
answers and tasks
• Test two versions
• Easier to interpret results
• Tweaks to one version
• Entirely different approaches
• Tweak & re-test
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Resources
• Card-based classification evaluation (Donna Spencer: http://
boxesandarrows.com/card-based-classification-evaluation/
• Tree testing (Dave O’Brien): http://boxesandarrows.com/tree-testing/
• Card Sorting + Tree Testing : The Science Of Great Site Navigation (Jeff
Sauro): http://www.measuringusability.com/blog/cardsort-tree-test.php
• Julian’s 5 tips for Tree Testing (Julian Apatu): http://
www.optimalworkshop.com/blog/tree-testing-tips-with-julian-apatu/
• Making the most of Optimal Treejack (Nick Bowmast): http://
www.userexperience.co.nz/2009/08/making-the-most-of-optimal-
treejack/
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Tools
• Treejack: http://www.optimalworkshop.com/treejack.htm
• PlainFrame: http://uxpunk.com/plainframe/
• User zoom tree testing: http://www.userzoom.com/products/tree-testing
• C-inspector: http://www.c-inspector.com/index.php