Analysing the results of a card sort
& identifying a suitable site structure
Justine Sanderson
Userfaction Ltd

1
Analysing the Results
Spending time with your data

1 Analysing the results
2. List the category names and card groupings
provided by participant
3. Aggregate all the participant-generated
category names and sort alphabetically
4. Look for similarities and standardize
5. Check back that the standardized categories
contain the same cards

Spreadsheet
demo

Other resources
Other analysis tools
• Cluster analysis; dendograms
• Joe Lamantia’s spreadsheet
• Donna Maurer’s spreadsheet

2
Identifying a site
structure
It doesn’t have to be a hierarchy

2 Identifying a structure
K e y D a te s
e x a m t im e t a b le s
g r a d u a t io n
N e w s & t E avc eh nn tg s d a y s c h a r t
e i
Q u ic k L in k s
e v e n ts y e a r a t a g la n c e cam pus m ap
C E C IL
n o t ic e b o a r d
lib r a r y
s h o rt c o u rs e s nD eva
C o n t in u in g E d u c a t io n s t a f f d ir e c t o r y
U n iv e r s it y c a le n d a r
w e b m a il
A c a d e m ic /T e a c h in g /
S tu d e n ts H R /S ta ff/P e r s o n a l In fo
c a re e r re s o u rc e s F o r m s /P o lic ie s
a d m is s io n s & e n r o lm e n t
C a m p u s /E A P
C P D c o u rAs ec sc e s s / B uv ia l cd a i nn c gi e s c o p y r ig h t r u le s
e x a m t im e t a b le s d is c ip lin a r y a c t io n
c r e c h e / c h ild c a r e c r e c h e a p p lic a t io n
C E C IL p a r k in g
d i s a b i l i tC o emr v pc u st i n g /HI T c o n n e c t
y s i e R in te r n e t s e c u r ity
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ous i
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e q u a l e m ep cl ot oy rm a er tn/ lt o og po ps o r t u n i t y
v
c o lle c t iv e e m p lo y m e n t a g r e e m e n t s

! Issues
Methodology | Hierarchies | Labelling

1 Card Sorting Issues
• Card sorting evaluates how people categorize
things when they see ALL of the content
- BUT -
• When visiting websites, visitors do NOT
know all the information contained on the
website

Example
• Sports
• Rugby – Rugby
• Surfing – Netball
– Tennis
• Netball
• Fishing
• Hobbies
• Tennis – Fishing
• Tramping – Tramping
– Surfing

Example
Sports Hobbies
Surfing?

2 Hierarchy issues
“ People keep pretending they
can make things
hierarchical, categorizable,
and sequential when they
can't. Everything is deeply
intertwingled.
”
— Ted Nelson

Measures of a good
hierarchy

Indistinct Categories
If users have to visit all 3
categories, the distinction
may not be clear enough

3 Labelling Issues
1. Merge categories
2. Split categories
3. Rename
4. Explain

Tips to improve labelling
• Avoid high-level, non-words
• Make labels longer, more explanatory
• Provide explanatory text
• Show the children of that category
• Rename and retest

Width vs. depth
It is better to have:
• MORE finer-grain categories
- than -
• LESS high-level categories

Traditional navigation
schemes

Alphabetical
Topics
Audiences

Alternative models
• Alphabetical
• Chronological
• Geographical
• Guided maps
• Lifestages
• Facets
• A combination of the above

1 Alphabetical
Topics
• Animals A-Z Index
– Dog Registration • Beach water quality
– Possum Control • Dog Registration
– …
• Possum Control
• Environmental Care
• Water conservation
– Beach water quality
– Water conservation
– …

2 Chronological
• Press Releases
– 2007
– 2006
– 2005

3 Geographical
• Councillors
– Northern Ward
– Central Ward
– Eastern Ward

4 Guided Maps/Lifestages
Next : Employee Benefits >

Questions?
Thank you!
justine@userfaction.com