Card Sorting Sessions
Card sorting sessions involve participants organising topics or items into categories that make sense to them, helping teams understand users' mental models and preferences for structuring information.
Goal
The goal is to inform the design of information architecture, navigation, and interfaces by uncovering how target users conceptualise and categorise information, ensuring intuitive user experiences.
Context
The more experience you have with a topic the more difficult it is to see it from a beginner's perspective. Card sorting sessions provide a way to understand how users think about and categorise information, helping to create intuitive and user-friendly structures.
Inputs
| Artifact | Description |
|---|---|
| Card Sorting Deck | A set of topics or items that participants will sort into categories. |
| Card Sorting Categories | A set of labels or groups that participants will use to organise the cards if you are performing a closed or hybrid sorting session. |
| Card Sorting Participants | A list of potential participants, including their background and context. |
Outputs
| Artifact | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Sorting Data | Raw data from how participants have categorised the cards. | Provides insights into user mental models and categorisation preferences. |
| Category Labels | The labels participants have created or used during sorting. | Helps identify user terminology and inform taxonomy development. |
Anti-patterns
- Overcomplicating the Session: Including too many cards or categories, leading to participant confusion and fatigue.
- Ignoring Context: Failing to consider the context in which the information will be used, resulting in misaligned categorisations.
- Lack of Follow-up: Not validating the findings with users or through usability testing, risking the implementation of ineffective structures.