Participatory Methods
Card Sorting
Card Sorting reveals how users mentally organize and categorize information by asking them to sort labeled cards into groups that make sense to them. This technique uncovers user mental models, helping designers create intuitive navigation structures and content hierarchies that align with user expectations rather than internal organizational logic.
Goal
Design & Prototyping
Group
Qualitative Research
Users
Direct User Involvement
Overview
Card Sorting is a user-centered design technique used to understand how users categorize and relate information. Participants are asked to sort cards with topics or items into groups that make sense to them. This method provides insights into user mental models, helping designers organize content in an intuitive way. It's commonly used in information architecture, such as designing website navigation, to ensure that content is easily findable and aligned with user expectations.
Step-by-Step Procedure
9 steps to complete
1
Define Objectives
Determine the goals of your card sorting session, such as identifying user expectations, understanding how users categorize information, or improving the navigation structure of a website or application.
2
Select Participants
Recruit a diverse group of participants who represent your target user demographic to ensure a wide range of perspectives in the card sorting exercise.
3
Create Cards
Develop a set of cards that include the key concepts, categories, or tasks that are relevant to your design project. These cards should be brief, clear, and written in the user's language.
4
Choose Card Sorting Format
Decide between an open, closed, or hybrid card sorting format. In open sorting, participants create and label their own categories; in closed sorting, pre-defined categories are provided; and in hybrid sorting, a mix of both approaches is used.
5
Conduct the Card Sorting Session
Facilitate the card sorting session by providing clear instructions to participants, ensuring they understand the goals of the exercise, and encouraging them to think aloud while organizing the cards. Monitor their progress and ask clarifying questions if needed.
6
Capture the Results
Document the categories and card order created by each participant, either by taking photographs, recording the session, or transcribing the results. If using a digital card sorting tool, the data will be captured automatically.
7
Analyze the Data
Analyze the card sorting results by looking for patterns and trends in the way participants grouped and labeled the cards. Identify common themes and outliers and consider how these findings align with your design objectives.
8
Generate Insights
Interpret the findings to gain insights into user mental models, expectations, and preferred content organization. Use these insights to inform your design decisions, such as the labeling and structure of navigation menus, or the organization of content within your website or application.
9
Iterate and Test
Apply the insights from the card sorting session to your design and conduct additional testing with users to ensure that the new organization aligns with their expectations and is easy to navigate.
Method Complete
Real-World Examples
See how this method is applied in practice
Reorganizing Groupon Deal Categories
Card sorting exercise conducted with Groupon users to improve the main category navigation structure. Participants were given cards representing different deal types: "Spa Day," "Yoga Classes," "Restaurant Dining," "Cooking Classes," "Concert Tickets," "Escape Rooms," etc. Users were asked to organize these into categories that made sense to them. Results showed that users grouped deals by occasion (Date Night, Weekend Activities, Self-Care) rather than by merchant type (Restaurants, Fitness, Entertainment), leading to a redesign of the deal discovery experience with multiple browsing modes.
Merchant Center Dashboard Information Architecture
Card sorting study with local business owners to reorganize the Merchant Center dashboard. Participants included restaurant owners, spa managers, and fitness studio operators. They sorted cards representing different merchant tools and features: "View Sales," "Customer Demographics," "Create New Deal," "Redemption Reports," "Marketing Tips," "Support Tickets," etc. The study revealed that merchants think in terms of workflows (Setting Up Deals, Managing Performance, Getting Help) rather than feature types, informing a dashboard redesign that groups tools by merchant goals.
Groupon Help Center Content Structure
Card sorting exercise to improve Groupon's customer support knowledge base. Users were presented with cards for common help topics: "Refund My Purchase," "Can't Redeem Deal," "Merchant Closed," "Change Booking Date," "Groupon+ Benefits," "Gift Card Issues," etc. Participants organized these topics into categories. Results showed users think about problems by stage (Before Purchase, During Redemption, After Experience) rather than by problem type, leading to a restructured help center with journey-based navigation.
Deliverables
What you'll produce from this method
Participant Recruitment Plan
A document outlining the target participants, their profile, and strategies for recruiting individuals who align with the user base for the study.
Card Sorting Script
A verbal script provided to the facilitator, guiding them through the card sorting process and ensuring the right questions are asked and instructions given to participants.
Cards
Physical or digital cards representing the content, categories, or features to be sorted by the participants during the study.
Card Sorting Results
A dataset capturing the sorting decisions and results from each participant, which can be analyzed to uncover patterns, trends, and general preferences.
Card Sorting Analysis Report
A comprehensive report detailing the findings and analysis of the card sorting study, including observations, suggested groupings, and recommendations for information architecture improvements.
Participant Feedback Summary
A summary of participant feedback, insights, and suggestions regarding the content or structure gathered during the card sorting exercise.
Dendrogram or Cluster Analysis
Visual representations or outputs from data analysis tools showing the relationships and groupings of items based on participant input during the card sorting exercise.
Proposed Information Architecture
A suggested information architecture document, including a site map or content hierarchy based on the input from the card sorting activity, ready to be tested and validated in additional user studies.
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