Card sorting examples to help you with UX research



Reading Time: 5 minutes

In the world of UX design, understanding how users perceive and organize information is crucial for creating effective interfaces. For instance, a card sorting example might involve asking users to categorize items from a website to see how they naturally group them. One of the most valuable techniques for gaining this insight is card sorting. 

Card sorting is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Various methods explore different aspects of user organization, each providing unique insights. Whether you’re refining the navigation of an e-commerce site or structuring content for an educational platform, card sorting offers valuable guidance.

In this blog of Octet Design Journal, we’ll delve into some card sorting examples that can significantly enhance your UX research. From open and closed card sorting to more advanced techniques like remote and comparative sorting, each example will illustrate how this technique can be applied to real-world scenarios.


Understand the mental models of users through card sorting


1. Organizing an e-commerce website with open card sorting

Imagine you are designing an e-commerce website. You provide participants with a set of product names, such as “Running Shoes,” “Formal Shirts,” “Laptops,” and “Coffee Makers.” 

In an open card sorting activity, participants are asked to organize these items into groups that make sense to them and to create their own category names for these groups.

This method allows users to define categories in their own words, providing valuable insights into their mental models and vocabulary. 

For instance, users might group “Running Shoes” and “Laptops” separately but may place “Formal Shirts” under a broader “Apparel” category. 

This helps in creating a navigation structure that relates to your target audience, ensuring that the categories and labels are intuitive and user-friendly.

2. Structuring a news website with closed card sorting

For a news website, you might have predefined categories such as World News, Sports, Technology, and Entertainment. 

Participants are given a set of news headlines, such as “Global Economic Summit,” “Champions League Final,” “Latest Smartphone Release,” and “Celebrity Awards Night,” and are asked to sort these headlines into predefined categories.

Closed card sorting helps validate an existing structure or compare different structures. It ensures that your categories align with users’ expectations and improves the overall user experience. 

For example, if most participants place “Global Economic Summit” under World News and “Latest Smartphone Release” under Technology, it confirms that your categorization matches user expectations.

3. Designing a library database with hybrid card sorting

If you are designing a library database, you can use a hybrid card sorting activity. Provide participants with some predefined categories like “Fiction” and “Non-Fiction” and a list of book titles. 

Allow them to create additional categories if they feel it’s necessary. For instance, they might add categories like “Science Fiction,” “Biographies,” or “Historical Fiction.”

This approach combines the benefits of open and closed card sorting. It provides a structured framework while still capturing unique user insights and preferences. 

It allows you to see how users group items when given some direction but also lets them introduce their own categorizations, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of user needs.

4. Refining a travel booking site with reverse card sorting

For a travel booking website, you present participants with a completed site map and ask them to reassign pages to different categories based on what makes the most sense to them. 

For example, you might have pages like “Flight Booking,” “Hotel Reservations,” “Travel Insurance,” and “Car Rentals” currently grouped under “Services.”

Reverse card sorting helps identify any mismatches between your current structure and user expectations. 

Participants might reassign “Travel Insurance” to a new category called “Extras,” revealing potential improvements in your information architecture that might not be apparent through traditional card sorting. This method can help you fine-tune your navigation and make it more user-centric.

5. Categorizing courses with multiple classification card sorting

Consider an educational website where you ask participants to sort the same set of course titles into different categories based on various criteria. 

For instance, you could ask them to sort courses like “Introduction to Psychology,” “Advanced Mathematics,” “Modern History,” and “Creative Writing” by subject, difficulty level, or popularity.

This method highlights how users perceive relationships between items from multiple perspectives. 

Users might categorize “Introduction to Psychology” and “Modern History” under “Humanities” by subject but place “Advanced Mathematics” under “Challenging” by difficulty. 

It helps you understand the different ways users might navigate your site, leading to a more flexible and user-friendly design.

6. Conducting remote sorting for a corporate intranet

If you are redesigning a large corporate intranet, you can conduct a remote card sorting activity using online tools. 

Participants from different locations sort cards digitally, providing insights without geographical constraints. 

For example, you might ask employees from various departments to categorize documents, tools, and resources into sections like “HR,” “IT Support,” “Finance,” and “General Resources.”

Remote card sorting allows you to gather data from a diverse user base. It’s especially useful when working with distributed teams or when targeting a global audience. 

By involving employees from different locations, you can ensure that the intranet structure meets the needs of all users, regardless of their physical location.

7. Comparing navigation structures for a fitness app

For a fitness app, you could conduct a comparative card sorting activity by presenting two different navigation structures and asking participants to sort cards into the one they find more intuitive. 

For example, one structure might group “Workout Plans,” “Nutrition Guides,” and “Progress Tracking” under “Features,” while another might use categories like “Exercise,” “Diet,” and “Progress.”

This approach helps you compare the effectiveness of different designs directly. It provides clear data on which structure better aligns with user expectations and preferences. 

If most users prefer the second structure, you gain valuable insights into organizing your app to make it more user-friendly.

Conclusion

Card sorting is an invaluable tool in the UX designer’s toolkit. By leveraging these card sorting examples, you can gain deep insights into your users’ mental models and improve the website’s usability. 

At Octet Design Studio, we specialize in conducting comprehensive card-sorting activities tailored to your unique needs. 

Our expert team can help you uncover critical insights and implement them to enhance your user experience.

Frequently asked questions

How to do card sorting?

To perform card sorting , start by defining your objectives, such as understanding how users organize content or testing navigation structures. Prepare cards with distinct items or concepts. Based on your goals, choose the type of card sorting. Recruit a representative group of participants, then conduct the physical or digital sorting activity. Analyze the results to identify patterns and use these insights to refine your design.

What are the two types of card sorting?

The two main types of card sorting are open and closed. Open card sorting involves participants creating their groups and names for cards, revealing their mental models. Closed card sorting has predefined categories, with participants sorting cards into these existing groups to validate or refine an existing structure.

Why use card sorting?

Card sorting in UX helps understand how users naturally categorize and label information, leading to more intuitive navigation and organization. It validates or refines existing structures, ensuring they align with user expectations and improving the overall user experience.

What is the sample size for card sorting?

The typical sample size for card sorting in UX is between 15 to 20 participants. This range provides enough data to identify trends and patterns while being manageable regarding time and resources. For larger projects, you may include more participants to gain deeper insights.

Read next on:

What is task analysis? Examples and types

Examples and principles of visual hierarchy in design

What is shadowing in user research?