Card sorting

Tag(s)

Research & testing

Cook(s)

America Curl

Nutrition profile

Ask people to group cards into categories, and use the results to guide your information architecture design.

Cooking time

There are three types of card sorts: closed, hybrid, or open. The prep and analysis time will vary depending on the size of the project.

Closed card sorts take the least amount of time to complete, because you are dictating all of the categories and topics that will be used; users only sort the information. Users typically finish these in 10-15 minutes.

Hybrid card sorts take a little longer because users have the option to add new information along with the already established information. It will take users a little longer, so plan for 15-20 minutes for these sorts.

Open card sorts take the most amount of time to complete, 15 minutes to an hour, because users have the most freedom in creating topics and categories, as well as thinking about how they would restructure the information architecture.

Moderating the card sort can help to cut down on time because the users know that there is an established timeframe, along with someone watching them.

Perfect for

When you are designing a website and don't know how to organize the content. Card sorts also help if you are adding content or want to reorganize established websites based on user feedback.

Prep work

Decide the format and type of the card sort. Decide if it will be closed, hybrid, or open, and if it will be physical or online. If the cart sort is online, follow the instructions on the card sorting tool's website for a proper setup.

Prepare the content. Create a list of subjects that you want your users to sort. These could be the titles of pages on a website, or more general topic areas. Try to keep the list between 35 to 50 topics so that your users don't get overwhelmed.

Decide if you want people to work as individuals or in teams. If in teams, group together participants from different backgrounds or experiences. An advantage of teams is they'll have to negotiate decisions and you can learn more about their varied perspectives. Teams take longer, though, and we recommend no more than 3 people per team (2 works better).

Prepare the cards. If you are conducting a physical card sort, write the individual topics on index cards, sticky notes, or pieces of paper. Tips:

• Number the cards to help you capture the results afterwards.
• Bring extra cards so participants can add topics or categories if they think of something that isn't listed (if your card sort allows for it).
• Consider having stickers or markers so that users can indicate topics or categories that they think are especially important.
• Set up a "trash" pile to see what information users don't think is relevant.

Ingredients

• Online card sorting software (e.g. Optimal Workshop, Miro, UX Tweak), OR
• Index cards, writing instruments, and paper for notetaking
• A small thank you to give participants. This can be something as small as a snack or something more substantial like a gift card.

Directions

Setting up your card sort

1. Set up a time limit for your activity. Include enough time for introductions and an explanation, as well as time at the end for participants to give you any feedback and ask questions.
2. Arrange the space:
• For a physical card sort, ensure there is enough room for participants to spread their cards out on the table. It's also helpful to have room for them to move around the table so they can reach cards more easily.
• For an online card sort, ensure there is internet connectivity, directions for them to read, and space for them to leave comments online or with you.
3. Ask your users to talk aloud during the sessions so that you can take notes on their thought process. You might also want to record the sessions.

Running a moderated card sort

1. Consider starting with a slide deck that explains what the goal of the activity is, and some examples of what the participants are being asked to do. This is the time to explain the type of card sort that you have chosen.
• Let the participants know that there is no correct answer for these activities, it's not a test, you're just asking them to help you improve the organization of the website.
• You can also ask the participants to talk out loud or take notes (on the cards if you have made multiple copies), which will help you to understand the participants' thought processes.
2. If this is an in-person open card sort, encourage participants to combine categories, rename the categories and topics, and set aside the cards that they think do not belong. Give the participants as much freedom as you would like them to have during these activities.
3. Thank your participants and let them know how to collect any gifts or snacks.

Remote unmoderated sorting sessions

1. Consider the cognitive load on the participant. You want them to be as on task for your first card as your last. As a suggestion, limit yourself to 40-50 topics or less.
2. Prepare the cards according to the software instructions.
3. Email your participants a link to the study. Provide instructions for the sort (whether open or closed) and let them know approximately how long the session should take to complete.
4. If a comment box is available, urge participants to use the field to record any observations or questions. While you will not be able to answer them in real time for the participant, these comments can be useful for your analysis.
5. Thank the participant for his or her time and provide instructions for receiving payment or other gift (if promised).

Plating

To prepare you data from analysis take photos of the participants' sorted cards. Try to capture any hand written notes, hierarchies, or relationships between cards.

For digital card sorts, analyze the data the digital software provides to find any common themes or issues that participants had (e.g. cards commonly sorted together or repetition of categories that have been created).

For physical card sorts:

• Take any physical notes or sorted cards and input them into the digital software if they are not already there
• Create files for each participant's sort that includes the photos taken of their sorted cards, any notes taken during the card sort, and any information that was captured in other formats.
• Create an Excel spreadsheet to input the sorted card information, which will help you to see patterns in your participants' sorted cards, as well and help you to create any visualizations for the presentation of the information.
• Analyze the date and put out any important information to present to stakeholders. You can use the Card sort results report by Usability.gov as a framework.

Pro tips

• Think of the card sort as the first step in the process and so that you set yourself up to find the most useful information later on in your project. The results will give you insight into how people think about categories of information, but they won't, alone, tell you what your information architecture should be.
• Limit yourself when creating cards for the sort. It is very easy to get overwhelmed when sorting a lot of cards, so think of the time and energy that you are asking your participants to give you.
• Try to record the sessions. This will help you to capture information that you might have otherwise missed.
• As the participants work, encourage them to lay cards next to each other, under each other, or stacked together to show that they have a specific relationship to each other, and take notes about that relationship.
• When the participants are done sorting cards, ask them to organize the columns from most to least important, and indicate if there are any 'Top 5' cards that they think are the most important part of the website.

Gallery

Resources

• List of free UX tools by UX for the Masses
• Here is an example of a slide deck that you can use when conducting a moderated sort. It will give participants an understanding of what the goals of your sort are, and how it works.
Card sorting slide deck.pptx45.6KB

Credits

Card sorting guide by Usability.gov