What's Card Sorting in User Experience Research?

Summary

This video explores card sorting, a crucial user experience technique for organizing information in intuitive ways. It highlights its significance in information architecture, especially for websites like e-commerce platforms, where effective categorization enhances usability. The video outlines three types of card sorting—open, closed, and hybrid—and discusses moderated versus unmoderated sessions. It compares paper and digital card sorting methods, weighing their pros and cons. Finally, it offers practical tips for implementation, emphasizing the importance of clear labeling and understanding user expectations to improve content organization.

Takeaways

• 😀 Card sorting is a research method for organizing information into intuitive groups, enhancing navigation usability.
• 😀 This technique helps researchers understand how users expect content to be categorized.
• 😀 Conducting a card sort is beneficial for large sets of content, such as organizing products on an e-commerce website.
• 😀 Involving five representative users in the card sorting exercise helps align the website's structure with user expectations.
• 😀 There are three types of card sorting: open, closed, and hybrid, each offering different levels of user input.
• 😀 Open card sorting allows participants to create their own categories, while closed card sorting uses predefined groups.
• 😀 Hybrid card sorting combines predefined categories with the option for participants to create new ones.
• 😀 Card sorting can be moderated (with researcher guidance) or unmoderated (participants work independently).
• 😀 Paper card sorting is intuitive for participants but requires more manual effort from researchers for documentation.
• 😀 Digital card sorting offers ease of analysis for researchers but can face technical issues.

Q & A

What is card sorting and why is it used?

Card sorting is a user experience research method used to help organize sets of information into intuitive categories. It helps researchers understand how users expect content to be structured, improving navigation usability.

When should you conduct a card sorting exercise?

Card sorting is useful when you have a large amount of content to organize, such as products on an e-commerce website, to ensure that categories make sense for users and that they can easily find what they are looking for.

What are the three types of card sorting?

The three types of card sorting are: Open Card Sorting, where participants create their own categories; Closed Card Sorting, where participants sort cards into predefined categories; and Hybrid Card Sorting, which allows for both predefined categories and the creation of new ones.

What is the difference between moderated and unmoderated card sorting?

Moderated card sorting involves a one-on-one session between a researcher and participant, allowing for real-time clarification of categorization. Unmoderated card sorting allows participants to sort cards independently, often using online tools, which is generally faster and less costly.

What are the advantages of paper card sorting?

Paper card sorting is intuitive for participants, allowing them to physically manipulate index cards and create groupings on a large table. It is easier for handling a large number of cards compared to digital formats.

What are the disadvantages of paper card sorting?

The downsides of paper card sorting include the increased workload for researchers, as they must manually document each participant's groupings and input the data for analysis.

How does digital card sorting work?

Digital card sorting utilizes software that simulates index cards, allowing users to drag and drop items into different groups. This method simplifies data analysis, as the software can automatically compile results from multiple participants.

What should be included on each card during a card sorting exercise?

Each card should include one item that represents the main content on your site, avoiding identical wording on topics. It's also important to provide options for participants to indicate uncertainty or lack of knowledge regarding certain items.

Why is it important to analyze frequently uncategorized items?

Analyzing frequently uncategorized items can help determine if the card labels are unclear or if the content is unrelated to the rest of the topics. This feedback is crucial for refining categories and improving overall content organization.

What tools can be used for digital card sorting?

Trello is mentioned as an easy and free tool that can be used for digital card sorting, enabling participants to organize items efficiently within a digital interface.