Services > UX Evaluation
Contact
SKOPOS NOVA GmbH | © 2026 All rights reserved.
UX Evaluation
Card Sorting & Tree Testing
Card Sorting and Tree Testing are complementary methods for optimizing the information architecture of digital products. Card Sorting captures how users mentally group content; Tree Testing then checks whether a developed navigation structure works in practice. Together they ensure that navigation structures correspond to the actual mental model of the target group.
Effective navigation: how cluttered menus can impair the user experience
Websites tend to develop their navigational structures according to the immediate needs of the company. New products and content are often integrated into the existing menus without keeping an eye on the big picture. This often leads to cluttered structures with too many menu items that users can hardly find their way around in. The reason for this is that the development process does not focus on the users’ mental model, but on the company’s internal organization.
How card sorting and tree testing effectively improve your information architecture
With the help of our combined card sorting and tree testing approach, we can collect user input on your existing or newly developed navigation structure. Card sorting allows you to understand which content users associate with each other and how they group, organize, structure, and label them. The extent to which this organization proves to be applicable in practice can be examined with the help of a tree test, in which users go through the website based on search tasks, so that insights can be gained into the order of topics and the effort required to achieve a goal.
We don’t leave the intuitive information architecture to chance
User-oriented categorization that reflects the user's mental model.
Efficient information organization that better structures complex tables of contents and submenus so that information can be found more easily.
Testing of existing and theoretically developed menu structures in practice to ensure that they are actually user-friendly.
Option to test different navigational structure variants against each other to identify the most effective.
Insights into the time taken to complete tasks and click paths help to optimize navigation structures and avoid potential confusion.
Combine all analysis methods in one tool with live reporting via an interactive dashboard.
Development of new navigation structures or modification of individual elements in a workshop with our UX experts.
FAQs
What are Card Sorting and Tree Testing and in what order are they used?
Card Sorting and Tree Testing are complementary methods for optimizing the information architecture. Card Sorting is used first: users group content according to their own mental model, which provides the basis for a new navigation structure. Tree Testing follows afterwards: the developed structure is tested with users who are to solve concrete tasks. This sequential use – first understand how users think, then validate whether the structure works – is methodologically the most robust approach.
Who are Card Sorting and Tree Testing suitable for?
These methods are indispensable when developing or revising website navigation, app menu structures or complex information architectures, and with extensive e-commerce catalogs. They are particularly valuable when internal stakeholders and real users have different mental models, which is often the case: teams think in internal categories, users think in usage scenarios. Card Sorting makes this difference visible.
What is the difference between open and closed Card Sorting?
In open Card Sorting, participants name and group the cards freely according to their own understanding, without predefined categories. This provides insights into the mental model of users and is suitable for the initial development of an information architecture. In closed Card Sorting, participants assign cards to predefined categories – suitable for validating an existing structure. In practice, we often recommend the open approach, as it delivers more unexpected insights.
What do Card Sorting and Tree Testing cost?
The cost depends on the scope, the number of participants and the desired level of detail of the analysis. We advise you individually on the optimal sample size to ensure valid and reliable results.
How many participants are needed for Card Sorting and Tree Testing?
For meaningful results, approximately 100 participants are generally recommended, depending on the homogeneity of the target group and the complexity of the content structure. We advise you individually on the optimal sample size and method of conducting the study.