What is card sorting?
Card sorting is a research method used to understand how people group and label information. It helps us grasp how users think about content and its organization. In card sorting, participants sort cards with various topics or items into groups that make sense to them.
This method gives insights into users' mental models, showing how they expect information to be structured. Card sorting is a key tool for creating user-centered designs, especially for websites and apps.
Card sorting examples often include organizing content for a new website or refining the menu structure of an existing app.
What is card sorting in UX?
In UX (User Experience) design, card sorting is a crucial technique for creating intuitive information architectures. UX card sorting helps designers understand how users expect to find information within a product or service.
Card sorting in UX is used to:
- Organize content in a way that aligns with user expectations
- Create logical navigation structures
- Develop user-friendly menu systems
- Improve findability of information
UX professionals use card sorting tools to gather data on how users categorize and relate different pieces of content. This data then informs the design of websites, apps, and other digital products.
Tree testing vs. card sorting
While both card sorting and tree testing are UX research methods, they serve different purposes. Card sorting helps you understand how users would organize your content, while tree testing evaluates how well users can find information in an existing structure. Think of card sorting as building the map, and tree testing as making sure people can follow it.
Card sorting formats
Card sorting can be conducted in various formats:
- Moderated: A researcher guides participants through the sorting process, asking questions and gathering insights in real-time.
- Unmoderated: Participants complete the sorting task independently, often using online card sorting tools.
- Digital: Conducted online using specialized card sorting software, allowing for easy data collection and analysis.
- Paper: A traditional method using physical cards, useful for in-person sessions and when digital tools aren't available.
Each format has its pros and cons, and the choice depends on your research goals, resources, and participant availability.
What is the correct way to sort cards?
There's no single "correct" way to sort cards, as the method should adapt to your research goals. However, here are some best practices:
- Provide clear instructions to participants
- Use a representative sample of your target audience
- Include a diverse range of items that cover your content scope
The key is to let participants sort freely based on their own logic and understanding. This reveals genuine user perspectives, which is the main goal of card sorting.
What are the goals of card sorting?
The primary goal of card sorting is to understand how users categorize and relate information. This insight helps create intuitive information architectures and navigation systems.
When should you use card sorting?
Use card sorting when:
- Designing a new website or app structure
- Reorganizing existing content
- Creating or refining navigation menus
- Understanding user mental models about your content
Card sorting is especially useful early in the design process when you're figuring out how to structure your information.
Card sorting examples
The problem
A large e-commerce site was struggling with poor navigation. Users couldn't find products easily, leading to lost sales.
The goals
The UX team aimed to:
1. Understand how users categorize products
2. Create a more intuitive navigation structure
The card sort
They used online card sorting tools to conduct an open card sort with 50 participants. Each participant sorted 100 cards representing various products into categories that made sense to them.
The results
The card sorting revealed unexpected groupings and led to a restructured navigation that better matched user expectations. This resulted in improved findability and increased sales.
What are the two types of card sorting?
When it comes to card sorting in UX research, there are two main types: open card sorting and closed card sorting. Each serves a different purpose and can provide unique insights into how users organize information.
Open Card Sorting
In open card sorting, participants are given a set of cards with various topics or items and asked to group them in ways that make sense to them. They also name these groups themselves.
Here's how it works:
- Participants receive a stack of cards, each representing a piece of content or functionality.
- They sort these cards into groups based on their own logic and understanding.
- Participants then create and assign labels to each group they've formed.
Open card sorting is particularly useful when you're starting from scratch or want to understand users' mental models without any preconceived notions. It's great for:
- Designing new website structures
- Understanding how users naturally categorize your content
- Discovering unexpected groupings or relationships between items
Closed Card Sorting
Closed card sorting, on the other hand, provides participants with predefined categories. The participants then sort the cards into these given categories.
The process looks like this:
- Participants receive a set of cards and a list of predefined category names.
- They sort the cards into the given categories.
- If a card doesn't seem to fit any category, participants might be allowed to suggest new ones.
Closed card sorting is useful when you have an existing structure and want to validate or refine it. It's ideal for:
- Testing an existing or proposed site structure
- Seeing how well users understand your predefined categories
- Determining which items are difficult to categorize
Both types of card sorting provide valuable insights, and the choice between them often depends on your research goals and the stage of your design process. Sometimes, UX researchers even use a combination of both methods to get a comprehensive understanding of users' mental models and validate their information architecture decisions.
How to do card sorting?
Conducting a card sort involves several key steps. Here's a detailed guide on how to do card sorting:
1. Set Clear Objectives
Define what you want to learn from the card sort. Determine if you need open or closed card sorting based on your goals. Decide on the scope (e.g., entire site structure or specific section)
2. Prepare Your Content
Create a list of items to be sorted (usually 30-60 items). Write each item on a separate card (physical or digital). Ensure items are clear, concise, and free of jargon
3. Select Participants
Choose 15-20 participants who represent your target audience. Consider factors like age, experience level, and familiarity with your product. Recruit participants through user panels, social media, or existing customer lists.
4. Choose Your Method
Decide between in-person or remote card sorting. Select appropriate tools (e.g., physical cards, online card sorting software). For remote sessions, ensure participants have necessary technology and instructions.
5. Conduct the Sort
Provide clear instructions to participants. For open sorting, ask participants to group cards and name categories while for closed sorting, provide predefined categories.
Encourage participants to think aloud during the process. Take notes on participant comments and observations.
6. Analyze Results
Look for patterns in how participants grouped items. Note any items that were frequently grouped together. Identify any cards that were difficult for participants to categorize.
For open sorting, analyze the category names participants created.
7. Visualize Data
Create dendrograms or similarity matrices to represent relationships between items. Use heat maps to show the frequency of items being grouped together.
8. Interpret Findings
Identify strong groupings that appeared across multiple participants. Note any surprising or unexpected groupings. Consider how findings align with your current or proposed information architecture.
9. Apply Insights
Use results to inform your site structure or app navigation. Consider running a closed card sort to validate any new structure you develop. If results are unclear, consider follow-up research like tree testing.
10. Document and Share
Create a report summarizing your methodology, findings, and recommendations. Share results with stakeholders and your design team, and use insights to guide your information architecture decisions.
Remember, card sorting is just one tool in the UX researcher's toolkit. It's often most effective when combined with other research methods like user interviews, usability testing, and tree testing.
In-Person vs. Remote Card Sorting
When you're doing card sorting in UX, you might wonder whether to go for an in-person or remote session. Here's the lowdown:
Conducting an In-Person Card Sort
In-person card sorting lets you watch participants up close as they group your cards. You can see their facial expressions, hear their thoughts out loud, and even ask follow-up questions on the spot. It's great for picking up on subtle cues that might get lost in a remote session.
Conducting a Remote Card Sort
On the flip side, remote card sorting with digital tools makes it easier to reach a wider audience. You can involve participants from different locations without the hassle of travel. Plus, many card sorting tools automatically crunch the numbers for you, saving time on analysis.
Advantages of Card Sorting
Card sorting UX is a powerful technique that helps you understand how your users think. This insight can lead to more intuitive navigation on your website or app, which means happier users who can find what they need quickly. UX card sorting examples often show how this method can reveal unexpected patterns in user behavior, leading to more user-friendly designs.
But what is card sorting really about? It's not just about making users happy (though that's super important). Card sorting can also boost your bottom line. When users can easily navigate your site, they're more likely to stick around, make purchases, or take whatever action you want them to. It's a win-win! Many card sorting tools offer features that make it easy to translate these insights into actionable design decisions.
Disadvantages of Card Sorting
While card sorting is a fantastic UX tool, it's not without its drawbacks. One main issue in card sorting UX is that it doesn't account for context. Users might group items differently in real-life situations than they do during a card sort. This is why it's important to complement card sorting with other research methods.
Also, if participants aren't familiar with the content, their groupings might not reflect how actual users would navigate your site. This is a common pitfall in card sorting examples. Additionally, what is card sorting if not a snapshot in time? User preferences and mental models can change, so regular card sorting exercises may be necessary to keep your information architecture up-to-date. While card sorting tools can make the process easier, they can't completely eliminate these inherent limitations of the method.
Card Sorting Tips and Best Practices
- Keep your cards clear and concise. Avoid jargon that might confuse participants.
- Use a mix of obvious and not-so-obvious items to get a well-rounded view.
- Encourage participants to think aloud as they sort. Their reasoning is just as valuable as the final groupings.
- Don't forget to pilot test your card sort before the real deal.
- Consider using both open and closed card sorting for a more comprehensive understanding.
4 Best Card Sorting Tools: Pricing, Features
What is a card sorting tool?
A card sorting tool is software that helps you conduct and analyze card sorting exercises. These tools often offer features like digital cards, automatic data analysis, and visualization of results. They're super handy for running remote card sorts or analyzing large amounts of data quickly.
Let's dive into some of the top card sorting tools out there.
Maze
Pricing: Starts with a free plan, with paid plans from $99/month
Supported types: Open and closed card sorting
Maze’s card-sorting features:
- Custom, automated analytics to uncover users' mental models
- Intuitive drag-and-drop card sorting tasks
- Visual analytics including agreement rates, similarity matrix, and agreement matrix
- Auto-grouping to save time on manual data piecing
UserZoom
Pricing: Custom pricing plans available
Supported types: Open and closed card sorting
UserZoom’s card-sorting features:
- Integrated with the UserTesting platform
- Offers standardization of multiple categories in open card sorts
- Provides results as data tables and dendrograms
- Allows analysis of clusters in dendrograms
Miro (Template)
Pricing: Starts with a free plan, with paid plans from $10/month
Supported types: Open, closed, and hybrid card sorting
Miro is a whiteboard tool that can also be used for card-sorting. Although it doesn’t offer any features specifically for this, there’s a great template you can use.
The template integrates with Miro's collaborative whiteboard functionality, and allows for visual organization and real-time collaboration.
Optimal Workshop
Pricing: Offers a free plan, with paid plans starting from $129/month
Supported types: Open, closed, and hybrid card sorting
Optimal workshop offers the following card sorting features:
- Automated analyses for quick insights
- Session replays to understand participant thought processes
Considerations for Choosing a Card Sorting Tool
When picking a card sorting tool, think about your specific needs. Do you need advanced analytics? Remote testing capabilities? Integration with other UX research tools? Also, consider your budget and the size of your team. Some tools offer better value for larger teams, while others might be perfect for solo researchers or small agencies.
How to use AI for card sorting UX
Artificial Intelligence is shaking things up in the world of UX card sorting. AI can help analyze large amounts of card sorting data much faster than humans, identifying patterns and relationships that might be hard to spot manually. It can also suggest optimal groupings based on user behavior, potentially leading to more effective information architectures.
How to use ChatGPT for card sorting UX
ChatGPT can be a handy assistant in your card sorting process. You could use it to generate initial card ideas, brainstorm category names, or even simulate user responses to help you prepare for actual card sorting sessions. Just remember, while ChatGPT can provide valuable insights, it shouldn't replace real user input in your UX card sorting exercises.
Learn more about other qualitative and quantitative methods here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the alternative to card sorting?
If card sorting doesn't fit your needs, you might consider techniques like tree testing, user interviews, or contextual inquiries. These methods can also provide insights into how users think about and interact with your content, just from different angles.
Is it necessary to do card sorting?
While card sorting is a valuable tool, it's not always necessary. If you have a simple site structure or are working with well-established conventions, you might not need it. However, for complex sites or when targeting specific user groups, card sorting can provide crucial insights.
How long does card sorting take?
The duration of a card sorting exercise can vary. A single session might take 5-30 minutes, but the entire process, including planning, recruitment, and analysis, can take several weeks. The complexity of your content and the number of participants will impact the timeline.
What is the optimal number of card sorting participants?
Generally, 15-20 participants can provide reliable results for most card sorting exercises. However, for more complex projects or when targeting multiple user groups, you might need more. Remember, it's about quality insights, not just quantity.
How to use AI for card sorting example?
Imagine you're redesigning an e-commerce site. You could use AI to analyze past user behavior and suggest initial category groupings. Then, use these AI-generated groupings as a starting point for your human participants in a closed card sort, potentially leading to more refined results.
How to use AI for card sorting tools?
Many card sorting tools are starting to incorporate AI features. For example, they might use machine learning algorithms to suggest optimal groupings based on aggregate user data, or use natural language processing to analyze participants' think-aloud comments during remote sessions.
How to use ChatGPT for card sorting example?
Let's say you're organizing content for a fitness app. You could ask ChatGPT to generate a list of potential content items, then use its language model to suggest how users might group these items. This could give you a starting point for creating your actual card sort.
How to use ChatGPT for card sorting tools?
While ChatGPT isn't a card sorting tool itself, it can complement your existing tools. For instance, you could use Looppanel to help interpret open-ended responses from participants, or to generate hypotheses about user behavior that you can then test with your card sorting tool.
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