How to Run a Card Sort Test
Card sorting is a user research technique commonly used in User Experience (UX) design to understand how users organise and categorise information.
The method involves creating a set of cards, each representing a piece of information or content, and asking participants to sort them into groups based on their own criteria. The process provides insight into how users think about and organise information, and helps designers to create intuitive and user-friendly navigation structures.
Card sorting can be conducted in-person, online, or using a combination of both methods. The results of a card sort can be analysed to create a structure or hierarchy for the content, and designers can use this information to create more intuitive navigation structures for their products or services.
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There are two main types of card sorting: open and closed.
Types of Card Sorting
Open card sorting
In an open card sort, participants are given cards and asked to group them under labels they come up with themselves.
Closed card sorting
In a closed card sort, the cards are already pre-grouped, and participants are asked to assign each card to a predetermined category.