Card Sorting vs Tree Testing: Complete Comparison
Card sorting and tree testing are complementary but distinct UX research methods. Here's how they differ and when to use each.
Quick Definitions
Card Sorting: Participants organize items into categories to discover how they think about your content.
Tree Testing: Participants find items in an existing structure to validate if your navigation works.
Key Differences
| Aspect | Card Sorting | Tree Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Discover structure | Validate structure |
| When | Before design | After design |
| Input | List of items | Existing navigation tree |
| Output | Suggested groupings | Success rates, paths taken |
| Question | "How should we organize this?" | "Can users find things?" |
When to Use Card Sorting
✅ Creating new information architecture ✅ Understanding user mental models ✅ Discovering natural content groupings ✅ Naming categories
Example: Designing navigation for a new product - what sections should exist?
When to Use Tree Testing
✅ Validating proposed navigation ✅ Comparing two structures ✅ Finding navigation problems ✅ Measuring findability
Example: Testing if users can find "Return Policy" in your proposed site structure.
Research Workflow
Best Practice:
- Card Sort First (Discovery): Understand how users think
- Design Navigation: Based on card sort insights
- Tree Test (Validation): Verify the structure works
- Iterate: Refine based on tree test results
Free Card Sort Offers Both
- ✅ Card Sorting (available now)
- ✅ Tree Testing (coming Q1 2025)
Use both methods for bulletproof information architecture!