Services/ Card Sorting
"Thinking like your user - not like an expert"
With the help of card sorting we can easily prove and optimize navigational terms as well as the underlying information
architecture of a website or application.
By determining how test persons group certain items, we can make sure that future users will find the preferred information exactly where they expect it to be.
By using card sorting we can amongst others detect the following weak points:
- Wording: Do your targeted users understand the terms used on your website?
- Site structure: Is the information on your website divided in meaningful parts that follow the expectations of your target group?
- Navigation: Do the users of your product understand the menu order?
Procedure
First, we break down content and navigation of the website or application into meaningful pieces and put each on a separate card or (Post-it). So we will have cards with terms like e.g. "Contact", "Services" or "Direction" written on.
This way we can prove if the test persons understand the used terminology. Typical questions are:
- What content would you expect behind this term?
- Where - behind which term - would you expect the following content?
In a second step, based on the perceived similarity, the test persons arrange the cards into groups. As
intermediate result, we receive the site structure from the users' point of view (so-called
"mental model").
We then proceed by asking the test persons to build generic terms for each group sorted before.
Alternatives
Dependend on the project the card sorting method can be varied in the following aspects:
- Number and definitions of the terms can be specified by the test guide or test persons
- Single-level or multi-level card sorting: Once a group of test persons has already sorted the items and terms, you can do a second run with another group to prove the received structure from the first run
Result
As result you receive valuable hints with regard to
questionable technical terms or lack of clarity in the wording of your website or application. Further you will receive the ideal information architecture
with perfectly intelligible terms and a clear navigational system reffering to the target group.
Please 
contact us, if you're interested in optimizing your website.
