Card sorting is a key user experience researching tool used to categorise data into functions and relations. It is similar to having a normal deck of cards and sorting them out but suit, colour or numbers. It just makes sense to you and to the user.
Types of Card Sorting
Card sorting comes in two variants; open and closed.
- Open Card Sorting: This is where the content is organised into groups of anyone’s choosing. Giving opportunity for designers to uncover unknown trends.
- Closed Card Sorting: Closed sorting is when the categorised and predefined by a researcher and everything must be sorted into those groups.
The Design Process
To get card sorting involved with the design process some considerations need to be taken.
- Planning: Preparing the cards to sort is an obvious one but without defined objectives, participants and content to add to the cards this can’t be done.
- Sessions: Schedule sorting sessions either individually or with your team. The sessions can be done in person or online.
- Analyse Results: Create a summary describing results identifying any common trends or discrepancies.
- Iterative Design: Using information gained from sorting, design accordingly, being mindful of the information architecture and other design principles.
Conclusion
Card sorting can prove to be great tool in a UX researcher’s arsenal to predict user behaviours. Having a visual way to organise and group data is valuable to creating a well thought-out digital product. The use of card sorting within the design process will enable designers to create something that matches the user’s needs perfectly.
