How can you use card sorting to organize your web application's information architecture?

1 What is card sorting?

Card sorting is a user research technique that involves asking your potential or existing users to sort a set of cards, each representing a piece of information or a function, into categories that make sense to them. By doing this, you can get insights into how your users think about your web application, what terms they use, and what relationships they see among your content and features. Card sorting can help you create or improve your web application's navigation, labels, and layout.

2 How to prepare for card sorting?

Before you conduct a card sorting session, you need to prepare a few things. First, you need to decide what type of card sorting you want to do: open, closed, or hybrid. In open card sorting, you let your users create their own categories and name them. In closed card sorting, you provide the categories and ask your users to sort the cards into them. In hybrid card sorting, you combine both methods by giving some categories and allowing users to create others. Second, you need to select the cards that you want to use. These should represent the main information and functions of your web application, and they should be clear and concise. Third, you need to recruit your participants. You should aim for a diverse and representative sample of your target audience, and you should have at least 15 participants for each type of card sorting.

3 How to conduct card sorting?

There are two ways to conduct card sorting: online or offline. Online card sorting involves using a software tool that allows your users to sort the cards on a web interface. This can save you time and money, and it can reach a wider and remote audience. However, online card sorting can also limit your interaction and feedback from your users, and it can depend on the quality and usability of the software tool. Offline card sorting involves using physical cards that your users can manipulate on a table or a wall. This can give you more control and flexibility, and it can allow you to observe and communicate with your users more closely. However, offline card sorting can also be more costly and time-consuming, and it can require more space and equipment.

4 How to analyze card sorting results?

After you conduct a card sorting session, you need to analyze the results to discover patterns and insights that can inform your web application's information architecture. Depending on the type of card sorting and data collection method, there are various ways to analyze the results. Frequency analysis counts how many times each card was sorted into each category and how many times each category was created or used by users, helping to identify the most common and preferred categories and cards. Similarity analysis measures how similar or different the categories and cards are based on how often they were grouped together or apart by users, aiding in identifying relationships and associations among content and features. Furthermore, cluster analysis groups categories and cards into clusters based on their similarity or dissimilarity, which can be visualized on a dendrogram or tree diagram to create or refine your web application's hierarchy and structure.

5 How to apply card sorting findings?

After you analyze the card sorting results, you need to apply the findings to your web application's information architecture. You can create or improve your web application's navigation, layout, and content. For instance, you can use the categories and cards that your users created or sorted as the basis for your navigation labels and options. Additionally, you can use the clusters and hierarchy that your users formed as the basis for your layout design and content placement. Moreover, you can use the terms and relationships that your users used as the basis for your content writing and editing. Card sorting is a valuable method that can help you organize your web application's information architecture based on user needs and expectations. By following these steps, you can conduct and use card sorting effectively and efficiently.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?