Card Sorting

Card sorting reveals how your users naturally group and categorize information. At Akendi, we use this research technique to understand your audience's mental models, helping you structure content and navigation that feels intuitive. Through our Experience Thinking framework, we examine how information organization impacts your overall content experience.

Tip: Start with card sorting before finalizing your site architecture - it's much easier to adjust structure early than after development begins.

Card sorting specifically focuses on information architecture and content organization, while other methods might examine broader user behaviors. We often combine card sorting with tree testing and first-click testing to create a complete picture of how users navigate information spaces.

Tip: Use card sorting alongside user journey mapping to understand both how users think about your content and how they move through it.

Organizations with complex information structures see the greatest impact - think e-commerce sites, educational portals, healthcare systems, and corporate intranets. At Akendi, we've helped financial institutions organize complex product information and healthcare organizations structure patient resources using card sorting insights.

Tip: If users frequently ask "Where do I find..." or abandon tasks due to navigation confusion, card sorting can solve these problems.

Card sorting works best early in the design process, ideally during the information architecture phase before wireframing begins. Using Experience Thinking principles, we position card sorting within the content experience quadrant to inform how information flows across all touchpoints.

Tip: Conduct card sorting during your discovery phase, but plan for follow-up validation testing once your new structure is implemented.

Absolutely. Card sorting is particularly valuable for redesigns because it reveals gaps between your current structure and user expectations. We often discover that existing navigation reflects internal organizational thinking rather than user mental models, providing clear direction for restructuring.

Tip: Before redesigning, compare your current site structure against card sorting results to identify the biggest misalignments that need addressing.

Open card sorting lets participants create their own categories, revealing natural groupings and terminology. Closed card sorting asks participants to place cards into predefined categories, testing whether your proposed structure makes sense. We typically start with open card sorting to discover patterns, then use closed card sorting to validate specific organizational approaches.

Tip: Use open card sorting to understand user mental models, then closed card sorting to test whether your proposed categories work effectively.

Remote card sorting allows broader participant recruitment and removes geographical constraints, while in-person sessions provide richer qualitative insights through observation and think-aloud protocols. At Akendi, we often combine both approaches - remote sessions for quantitative patterns and in-person sessions for deeper understanding of user reasoning.

Tip: Use remote card sorting for statistical significance, but include some in-person sessions to understand the 'why' behind participant decisions.

For quantitative insights, we typically recommend 30-50 participants for open card sorting and 15-30 for closed card sorting. However, participant quality matters more than quantity - we focus on recruiting people who match your actual user profiles rather than hitting arbitrary numbers.

Tip: Aim for participants who genuinely use similar products or services, as their mental models will be most relevant to your goals.

We use various platforms depending on project needs, including OptimalSort, UserZoom, and custom tools for complex scenarios. The tool choice depends on your participant demographics, card complexity, and analysis requirements. Our focus remains on gathering meaningful insights regardless of the platform.

Tip: Consider your participants' technical comfort level when choosing between simple drag-and-drop tools and more sophisticated platforms.

We develop cards based on your actual content, using terminology your users understand rather than internal jargon. Each card represents a distinct piece of information or functionality. Through our Experience Thinking approach, we ensure cards represent the full scope of your content experience, not just website pages.

Tip: Write card labels from your users' perspective, using words they would search for or ask about, not internal department names.

We use statistical clustering analysis to identify patterns, but combine this with qualitative insights about participant reasoning. Our analysis examines both how cards group together and what participants call these groups, revealing natural taxonomies and preferred terminology.

Tip: Pay attention to cards that consistently don't fit anywhere - they often reveal content that needs restructuring or clearer descriptions.

Disagreement often reveals important insights about your content. We analyze patterns within disagreement - sometimes it indicates content that serves multiple purposes or user groups with different mental models. This guides decisions about information placement and cross-navigation needs.

Tip: Areas of disagreement often need multiple navigation paths or placement in more than one category to serve different user approaches.

Yes, but it requires careful adaptation. We modify our approach for technical complexity by focusing on task-based groupings and including subject matter experts alongside end users. The key is understanding different user types - novices group by similarity while experts group by workflow or functionality.

Tip: For complex products, segment your card sorting by user expertise level to understand how different knowledge levels affect information organization preferences.

We validate card sorting insights through follow-up testing methods like tree testing and task-based usability testing. Card sorting reveals mental models, but we need behavioral validation to ensure these models translate to effective navigation. This integrated approach ensures practical, usable structures.

Tip: Always validate card sorting results with task-based testing to confirm that logical groupings also support efficient task completion.

Most card sorting projects span 4-6 weeks from planning to final recommendations. This includes study design, participant recruitment, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Timeline varies based on participant availability, study complexity, and the depth of analysis required.

Tip: Build extra time into your timeline for participant recruitment - finding the right participants often takes longer than expected.

We need your content inventory, user personas or profiles, business objectives, and current navigation challenges. Understanding your user base helps us design appropriate studies and recruit relevant participants. Through Experience Thinking, we also examine how information architecture connects to your broader experience goals.

Tip: Prepare a list of your most problematic content areas - these should be priority focuses for the card sorting study.

We use your user profiles to create detailed screening criteria, then recruit through multiple channels including our participant database, social media, and your customer base when appropriate. Quality screening ensures participants match your actual user demographics and behaviors.

Tip: Include a few edge-case users in your study - they often reveal navigation challenges that broader user groups also experience but don't vocalize.

Internal stakeholder participation can be valuable for understanding organizational perspectives, but we typically separate internal and external card sorting sessions. This reveals differences between internal thinking and user mental models, often highlighting where organizational structure creates user confusion.

Tip: Run parallel card sorting sessions with internal stakeholders and users, then compare results to identify alignment gaps that need addressing.

Investment varies based on study scope, participant requirements, and analysis depth. We work with organizations across different budget ranges, focusing on delivering maximum insight value regardless of project size. Our Experience Thinking approach ensures card sorting insights integrate with broader experience strategy.

Tip: Consider the cost of poor information architecture - confused users, increased support calls, and lost conversions often exceed research investment.

For global audiences, we adapt cards for cultural and linguistic differences while maintaining consistency for comparison. We work with local researchers when needed and consider cultural variations in categorization preferences. This ensures your information architecture works across different markets.

Tip: Test key navigation concepts across cultures early - what seems logical in one culture might be confusing in another.

We build flexibility into our studies to accommodate reasonable content changes. Minor updates usually don't affect results, but significant changes might require study adjustments. We work with you to balance research integrity with business needs, ensuring results remain relevant to your final implementation.

Tip: Finalize your content scope before starting participant recruitment to avoid delays and ensure consistent results.

We provide visual cluster analysis, recommended information architecture, and actionable implementation guidance. Our reports include statistical findings, qualitative insights, and specific recommendations for navigation structure. Following Experience Thinking principles, we show how information architecture connects to your broader content experience strategy.

Tip: Ask for both summary findings for executives and detailed recommendations for your implementation team - different stakeholders need different levels of detail.

Yes, we provide implementation support including navigation design, labeling recommendations, and coordination with your development team. We understand that great research insights need effective execution, so we stay involved through implementation to ensure findings translate to improved user experience.

Tip: Plan implementation in phases, starting with areas where card sorting revealed the biggest user confusion or highest business impact.

We recommend baseline measurements before changes and follow-up testing after implementation. Metrics include task completion rates, time-to-find information, and user satisfaction scores. We also suggest ongoing monitoring of user behavior patterns and support requests to track long-term improvement.

Tip: Set up analytics goals for key user tasks before implementing changes so you can measure improvement objectively.

This is common and valuable. We help balance user mental models with business needs, finding creative solutions that serve both. Sometimes this means hybrid approaches or progressive disclosure strategies. The goal is optimal user experience within realistic business constraints.

Tip: Document business constraints early in the process so we can design studies that provide realistic, implementable solutions.

When card sorting reveals multiple valid approaches, we recommend flexible architecture supporting different user paths. This might include multiple navigation entry points, robust search functionality, or adaptive content organization. The solution depends on your user diversity and technical capabilities.

Tip: Consider providing multiple ways to access the same content rather than forcing all users into one organizational model.

Mental models revealed through card sorting apply across platforms, but implementation varies by device constraints. We provide platform-specific recommendations while maintaining consistent underlying organization. This ensures users understand your structure regardless of how they access it.

Tip: Test your new information architecture on mobile devices early - space constraints often reveal organizational weaknesses not obvious on desktop.

Information architecture requires regular review as content grows and user needs evolve. We recommend annual assessments and mini card sorting studies when adding significant new content areas. This prevents architecture decay and maintains user-centered organization over time.

Tip: Create governance guidelines for adding new content to maintain the organizational principles revealed through card sorting research.

Your team's input is valuable during study design, participant recruitment criteria, and insight interpretation. We schedule specific touchpoints where your domain knowledge and strategic perspective enhance our research. Most of the heavy lifting happens on our end, but your expertise makes results more actionable.

Tip: Assign a single point of contact from your team to streamline communication and ensure consistent information sharing.

We provide regular progress updates, preliminary findings sharing, and maintain open communication throughout the research process. You'll receive milestone reports and have direct access to our research team for questions. Our collaborative approach ensures you understand findings as they emerge.

Tip: Schedule brief weekly check-ins during data collection to address any questions or concerns before they affect the study timeline.

We integrate with your existing team processes, providing findings in formats your teams can use effectively. We're experienced working within agile methodologies and can adapt our deliverables to fit your development cycles. Our goal is seamless integration that enhances rather than disrupts your workflow.

Tip: Include key developers in findings presentations - they often have implementation insights that shape how recommendations get executed.

Yes, we offer training workshops covering card sorting methodology, study design, analysis techniques, and implementation strategies. This builds internal capability for future research needs while ensuring you understand the reasoning behind our recommendations. Knowledge transfer is part of our service approach.

Tip: Request hands-on training with your actual content so your team learns using relevant examples rather than generic case studies.

We facilitate stakeholder workshops to discuss findings, address concerns, and build consensus around implementation approaches. Using Experience Thinking principles, we help stakeholders understand how information architecture decisions affect overall experience outcomes. Data-driven discussions usually resolve most disagreements.

Tip: Invite skeptical stakeholders to observe some card sorting sessions - seeing real users struggle with current organization often converts doubters into advocates.

We provide detailed methodology documentation, raw data access, analysis summaries, and implementation guidelines. This ensures your team can reference decision rationale in the future and build upon findings for ongoing projects. Proper documentation supports long-term organizational learning.

Tip: Request editable versions of key diagrams and frameworks so you can update them as your content and organization evolve.

Beyond delivering reports, we conduct knowledge transfer sessions explaining methodology, walking through findings, and discussing implementation strategies. We ensure your team understands not just what to do, but why specific approaches were recommended. This builds internal expertise for future decision-making.

Tip: Record knowledge transfer sessions so team members who join later can understand the research foundation behind your information architecture decisions.

We follow established research protocols, use validated analysis methods, and maintain rigorous participant screening standards. Our quality assurance includes study pilot testing, regular methodology reviews, and peer verification of findings. At Akendi, our Experience Thinking framework ensures research quality connects to broader experience outcomes.

Tip: Ask to review the screening criteria and study protocol before launch to ensure they align with your user base and research objectives.

We work closely with clients throughout the process to ensure results meet expectations. If concerns arise, we analyze methodology, review findings, and determine appropriate next steps. Our commitment is delivering actionable insights that improve your user experience and meet your business objectives.

Tip: Communicate concerns early in the process rather than waiting for final results - mid-course corrections are easier than starting over.

We segment analysis by user characteristics to identify patterns across different groups. When results vary significantly between segments, we investigate underlying reasons and provide segment-specific recommendations. This ensures your information architecture serves your full user spectrum effectively.

Tip: Identify your most important user segments upfront so we can ensure adequate representation and separate analysis when needed.

We monitor completion rates, participation quality, and data consistency throughout collection. Participants who don't engage meaningfully with the sorting task get replaced. We also check for response patterns that might indicate misunderstanding or lack of attention to the task.

Tip: Budget for 10-15% extra participants to account for quality replacements - it's better to have clean data than rushed results.

We design studies to minimize bias through neutral card descriptions, randomized presentation orders, and careful question wording. We also consider potential biases in our analysis and interpretation, noting limitations and alternative explanations where appropriate. Transparency about potential bias strengthens research credibility.

Tip: Review card descriptions with fresh eyes or external reviewers to catch unintentional bias that might influence participant responses.

Our research team combines academic training in user experience research with extensive industry experience. We've conducted hundreds of card sorting studies across various industries and complexity levels. Our Experience Thinking methodology reflects years of refining research approaches for maximum business impact.

Tip: Ask about the lead researcher's specific experience with projects similar to yours - domain expertise often makes the difference in insight quality.

We maintain active involvement in UX research communities, attend industry conferences, and regularly review academic research on information architecture methods. Our approaches evolve based on new insights and tools while maintaining proven methodological foundations. Continuous learning ensures current best practices.

Tip: Ask about recent methodology updates or new approaches being used - this indicates a research partner committed to excellence rather than routine execution.

Through Experience Thinking principles, card sorting insights inform your broader content experience strategy. Better information architecture reduces user frustration, increases task completion, and supports conversion goals. We help connect research findings to measurable business outcomes like reduced support costs and improved user engagement.

Tip: Define key business metrics upfront so research recommendations can directly address your most important organizational goals.

Understanding your users' mental models better than competitors do creates significant advantage. When your information structure matches user expectations while competitors' doesn't, users choose you. Card sorting reveals opportunities for intuitive organization that competitors might miss through assumption-based design.

Tip: Compare your card sorting results against competitor site structures to identify areas where better organization could differentiate your user experience.

Mental models revealed through card sorting often apply across your product ecosystem. We help identify universal organizational principles that can guide multiple projects while noting where product-specific differences require adapted approaches. This creates consistency while respecting unique user contexts.

Tip: Document organizational principles from card sorting research as design system guidelines that can inform future information architecture decisions.

Card sorting creates lasting understanding of user mental models that informs decisions beyond immediate implementation. These insights guide content strategy, product development, and customer service organization. The research investment continues providing value as your organization grows and evolves.

Tip: Archive card sorting insights in an accessible format so future team members can reference user mental models when making content and navigation decisions.

Users who can find information easily report higher satisfaction and complete more tasks successfully. Better organization reduces cognitive load and frustration while increasing confidence in your product or service. Through Experience Thinking, improved content experience strengthens your overall brand experience.

Tip: Measure customer satisfaction scores before and after implementing new information architecture to demonstrate research ROI to stakeholders.

Digital transformation often involves reorganizing information and services around user needs rather than internal processes. Card sorting provides the user-centered foundation for this transformation, ensuring new digital experiences align with how people naturally think about your offerings rather than how you internally organize them.

Tip: Use card sorting insights to identify where current organization reflects internal silos rather than user-centered thinking - these are priority areas for transformation.

Through clear objectives, rigorous methodology, actionable insights, and strategic implementation guidance, we ensure card sorting research creates lasting competitive advantage and measurable business impact. Our Experience Thinking approach connects research findings to broader experience strategy, maximizing return on your research investment.

Tip: Plan for post-implementation measurement to demonstrate research value and build organizational support for future user research initiatives.