Card Sorting
Card Sorting: a Method to facilitate navigation on your website
Card sorting is a UX research method where users organize information into categories to improve website navigation.
GOAL
Improve the information architecture of a website by understanding how users categorize and organize content through card sorting.
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DIFFICULTY:
Easy
The ease of navigation of a website is a fundamental aspect of achieving your goals. Card sorting is a valuable UX research method for discovering how users perceive your site's information architecture, helping you create an intuitive and engaging user experience.
What is card sorting?
Card sorting is a research method in which participants group individually labelled cards based on criteria that make sense to them. The cards can include pages, links, images, or descriptions of pages that users would access on your website.
How to conduct a card sorting study
1. Define the objectives: Establish the study's specific goals, such as understanding how users classify products on an e-commerce site or organise information on a business website.
2. Create the cards: Create a set that includes the elements you want to evaluate, such as pages, categories, or products. Ensure the card labels are clear, concise, and easy to understand.
3. Recruit participants: Select a representative group from your target audience. The number of participants depends on the type of card sorting (qualitative or quantitative) and the complexity of the study.
4. Conduct the study: Moderate the card sorting session by providing clear instructions to participants and encouraging them to think out loud while grouping the cards.
5. Analyze the data: Examine the groupings created by participants and identify recurring patterns and areas of agreement or disagreement. Use statistical analysis tools if necessary.
6. Draw conclusions: Based on the analysis's results, draw conclusions about how users perceive the website's information architecture and identify areas for improvement.
Types of card sorting
Card sorting can be of various types:
Open card sorting: Participants create their groups without predefined categories.
Closed card sorting: Users are given predefined categories and asked to organise the cards into those categories.
Hybrid card sorting: Participants are given some predefined categories and the freedom to create their own.
Benefits of card sorting
Card sorting offers numerous advantages for website design:
Understanding user mental models: It helps to know how users naturally classify and organise information, revealing their mental models and navigation expectations.
Identify areas for improvement: Highlights areas of the website that may be confusing or difficult for users to navigate, allowing for targeted changes to improve usability.
Validate the information architecture: This allows you to test and optimise the website's architecture, ensuring that it aligns with user expectations.
Develop a practical labelling system: It helps to create a clear and consistent labelling system for website pages and content, making it easier for users to navigate.
Tips
Several online and offline tools facilitate the card sorting process. We can recommend OptimalSort, a complete web platform for card sorting that offers advanced analysis and reporting features.
