Information Architecture 101: Card Sorting
Selma ZafarSenior User Experience Designer
• 12 years experience in creating compelling, usable and innovate experiences
• Strategy, user research, IA, wireframes, usability testing
• Recent ThoughtFarmer Intranet clients:• MD Physicians• Fokker Services, Aerostructures, Aircraft
Services• Global Container Terminals• YVR
IA Challenges for Intranets
• Reflects a company organization chart that employees don’t understand
• Stale, out-dated content
• ‘Dumping Ground’ for content
• No publishing standards or style guide
Business/Context
Content Users
CARD SORTING
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattobee/4417201103/sizes/l/in/photostream/
“It is important to use Card Sorting for the right reasons and the right time in the project and to analyze the results in combination with other
inputs.”
- DONNA SPENCER 2009
Steps in a Card Sort
1. Decide what you want to learn2. Select the type of Card Sort (open vs closed)3. Choose Suitable Content4. Choose and invite participants5. Conduct the sort (online or in-person)6. Analyze Results7. Integrate results
What are you wanting to learn?
• New Intranet vs Existing?• Section of Intranet?• Whole organization vs single department?• For a project? For a team?
Product Targets
CRM Project Review
CRM Organization Chart
Christmas Party
Walkathon Results
Year in Review Meeting
Vacation Policy
Pay DaysVacation request
form
Year in Review Meeting
Product TargetsCRM
Project Review
CRM Organization Chart
Christmas Party
Walkathon Results
Vacation Policy
Pay DaysVacation request
form
OPEN VS CLOSED
Vacation Policy
Christmas Party
CRM Project Review
CRM Organization Chart
Product Targets
Year in Review Meeting
Pay Days
Walkathon Results
Vacation request
form
Vacation Policy
Christmas Party
CRM Project Review
CRM Organization Chart
Product TargetsYear in
Review Meeting
Pay DaysWalkathon
Results
Vacation request
form
Company News
DepartmentsHuman
Resources
Projects
Company News
EventsHuman
Resources
Projects
Company News
DepartmentsHuman
Resources
Projects
OPEN SORT
CLOSED SORT
Selecting Content
Selecting ContentDo’s• 30 – 100 Cards
• Select content that can be grouped
• Select terms and concepts that mean something to users
Don’ts• More than 100 cards• Mix functionality and
content• Include both detailed
and broad content
Choose & Invite Participants
Conducting the Card Sort
Optimal Workshop (www.optimalworkshop.com)
Analysis
#15 The information in this presentation is confidential. Please do not redistribute. Thanks!
Look at
• What groups were created
• Where the cards were placed
• What terms were used for labels
• Organization scheme used
• Whether people created accurate or inaccurate groups
#16 The information in this presentation is confidential. Please do not redistribute. Thanks!
Category Characteristics
• Users understand the categories & can find information
• Content fits well in categories with not too much overlap
• Category names match users mental models
Integrate Results
Steps in a Card Sort
1. Decide what you want to learn2. Select the type of Card Sort (open vs closed)3. Choose Suitable Content4. Choose and invite participants5. Conduct the sort (online or in-person)6. Analyze Results7. Integrate results
Now Sort! www.thoughtfarmer.com/cardsort
Find out the results at the next ThoughtFarmer Webinar:
Information Architecture 101: Task TestingJuly 20th @10 AM PST
Go Canucks Go!
Any Questions?
