Card Sorting
A user-centered technique where participants organize topics into categories, revealing their mental models to inform intuitive information architecture.
What is it?
Card sorting involves participants grouping labeled cards into categories that make sense to them, helping designers understand user expectations and develop logical structures for content.
When to use it?
Employ card sorting during the early stages of design or redesign to inform site navigation, menu structures, or categorization, ensuring alignment with user mental models.
Why use it?
It uncovers how users perceive and organize information, leading to intuitive designs that enhance findability and user satisfaction.
How to use it?
Prepare a set of labeled cards representing content or features. Ask participants to sort them into groups that make sense to them and, in open card sorting, label each group. Analyze the results to identify common patterns and inform your design.
How not to use it?
Avoid imposing your own categorizations during the exercise; let users' natural groupings emerge. Don't rely solely on card sorting; complement it with other research methods for a comprehensive understanding.
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