View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  UX Research Card Sorting |  UX Research Surveys |  UX Research Tree Testing |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When content only makes sense internally and users can't find the structure again, card sorting exposes their mental order. Terms, groups, and naming are then aligned with the target group's expectations. | When a topic needs to be validated broadly and many people can answer the same question, surveys gather structured feedback in a scalable form. Answers become comparable and segmentable instead of remaining merely anecdotal. | When a navigation exists but search paths still fail, tree testing checks findability without visual distraction. The method shows whether labels, levels, and paths really lead to the intended destination. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 3-14 Tage | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Based on research question | 50+ | Based on research question |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Content groups, Label set, IA hypotheses | Survey Results, Charts, Segment Insights | Findability Metrics, Path Analysis, Revised IA |
Tagsno overlap | Information architectureNavigationStructure | QuantitativeResearchValidation | Information architectureNavigationFindability |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.
