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How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize

Information Architecture with a Tree Test

www.userzoom.com

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The #1 Platform for Agile Usability Testing & User Experience Analytics

Our all-in-one enterprise solution make research & testing

cost-effective, agile and easy

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• Chat box is available if you have any questions

• There will be time for Q&A at the end

• We will be recording the webinar for future viewing

• All attendees will receive a copy of the slides/recording

Quick Housekeeping

Continue the discussion using #LearnRemoteUX

Continue the discussion using: #LearnRemoteUX

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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Sneha Kanneganti

UX Researcher

UserZoom

speaker

Meet Your Speaker

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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Agenda

Continue the discussion using #LearnRemoteUX

About Tree Testing UserZoom Tree Test

ExperienceResults & Analysis Questions

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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The Purpose of a Tree Test

• Usability tool to evaluate the findability, labeling and organization

of topics in a navigation structure

• Tree is the site structure or the hierarchy of information without

visual cues or navigational aids.

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Questions you can address with a Tree Test

• Can people find what they are looking for?

• How well does the navigation labeling help users find

information?

• Do their expectations match where the information is

currently located?

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Tree Test Scenarios

New Design

Evaluate Existing Design

Benchmarking Old vs. New Design

• Thinking of testing the efficacy of the existing site structure

• Helps create a baseline of performance

• Want to test a proposed site structure and evaluate the efficacy of the

taxonomy in aiding findability

• Allows you to identify navigational issues prior to building a prototype or a

dynamic website.

• Provides metrics on how much better (or worse) the new design is to the old

one.

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Tree Test Scenario: Validate a Card Sort Finding

New Design Validation

Ink & Toner

All Brands Ink & Toner Finder

Brother Ink & Toner Finder

Canon Ink & Toner Finder

Dell Ink & Toner Finder

Epson Ink & Toner Finder

Paper & Pads

Paper

Copy & Multipurpose

Paper

Recycled Paper

Colored Paper

Card & Cover Stock Paper

Photo Paper

POS Rolls

Paper Rolls

Thermal Rolls

Add Rolls

Office Supplies

Art & Teaching Supplies

Binders & Accessories

View Binders

Non-View Binders

Presentation

Report Covers

Two-Pocket Portfolios

Index Dividers

Technology Products

Computers

Laptops

Tablets

Desktops

Computer Accessories

Flash & Computer Memory

Flash Memory

Computer Memory

Copy & Print

Copies & Printing

Business Cards

Business Cards Full Color

Business Cards One & Two Color

Instant Business Cards

Task 1: Where would you go to find a mouse pad?

Task 2: Where would you go to find a 3 ring binder?

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Tree Test Results

What information do we care about?

• The percentage of success.

• How many found it in the first attempt vs. all attempts?

• How confident are they?

• How easy was it to find it?

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The UserZoom Experience

Participant Experience / Results in UserZoom

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Tree Test Results

Success55%

Non-Success

45%

What information do we care about?

45%

100%

44%

11%

Confidence - NonSuccess

Confidence -Success

6 or 7 (Very Confident)

3,4,5 (Neutral)

1 or 2 (Not at all Confident)

Task Success

Confidence of the right selection

Confidence rating 7-point scale. Where 1 is Not at all confident and 7 is Very Confident Confidence

Su

cc

es

s

Ideal

Difficult

https://www.measuringu.com/blog/tree-testing-ia.php

Mousepad non-success

45%

Mousepad Success

55%

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How many completes?

• How well the sample represents the

population is gauged by two important

statistics – the survey’s margin of error and

confidence level.

• Margin of Error and Sample Size have an

inverse relation.

• It is a matter of risk tolerance.

Completes

Sample

80% 90% 95%

% Margin of

Error +/-

% Margin of

Error +/-

% Margin of

Error +/-

10 20.27 26.01 31

20 14.33 18.39 22

100 6.4 8.3 9.8

150 5.3 6.7 8

200 4.5 5.8 6.9

250 4.1 5.2 6.2

300 3.7 4.8 5.7

350 3.4 4.4 5.2

400 3.2 4.1 4.9

450 3 3.9 4.6

500 2.9 3.7 4.4

550 2.7 3.5 4.2

600 2.6 3.4 4

650 2.5 3.2 3.8

700 2.4 3.1 3.7

750 2.3 3 3.6

800 2.3 2.9 3.5

850 2.2 2.8 3.4

900 2.1 2.7 3.3

950 2.1 2.7 3.21000 2 2.6 3.1

In the Study Example

• N = 20. Success = 55% Margin of Error +/-

22% at 95% confidence.

• We can say with 95% confidence that

between 33% and 77% of all users would find

the item (Mouse pad) in the same tree test.

* Table shows error percentages a 50% agreement

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How many Trees?

• Depends on the complexity of the navigation tree and the difficulty of the task.

• Time of a unmoderated remote study should be limited to 15-20 minutes.

• 3-5 tree tasks with pre and post task question.

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Combine with other study types.

Best Practices

Iterations. Test often.

Targeted Participant Profiles.

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UserZoom vs. Other Tree Test Software

Multiple Trees Yes Yes

Pre-Post Survey Questions Yes Yes

Mixing Card Sorting + Tree Testing Yes Yes

Mixing other Remote Unmoderated

Testing Methods No Yes

Results

Success Yes Yes

Task Time Yes Yes

Tree Results Visualization Yes Yes

Download & Share Results Yes Yes

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• Submit your email via a chat box to request a customized demo of

UserZoom

UserZoom Demo

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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Questions

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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• Thursday, January 8, 2015

• Improving your Mobile App Experience with Voice of the Customer

Studies

Next Webinar

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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• http://www.relevantinsights.com/2011/02?cat=-6,-3

• http://www.relevantinsights.com/2011/02?cat=-6,-3

• http://www.relevantinsights.com/research-tools

• https://www.measuringu.com/blog/tree-testing-ia.php

• http://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/sampling-data/margin-error-and-confidence-levels-made-simple/

References

How to Improve Content Findability & Optimize Information Architecture with a Tree Test

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