http://www.comu346.com [email_address] Game Design 2 Lecture 9.5: Card Sorting

Categorising Data If you are working on a game with a lot of data, it may be useful to consider how users would group this data. Card Sorting is a methodology which enables non-expert end-users to help categorise items in a way which is useful for interface an user experience design.

If you are working on a game with a lot of data, it may be useful to consider how users would group this data.

Card Sorting is a methodology which enables non-expert end-users to help categorise items in a way which is useful for interface an user experience design.

Card Sorting Generates an overall structure to data. Can be used to get suggestions for: Navigation Menus Taxonomies Helps bridge the gap between designer mindset and audience mindset.

Generates an overall structure to data.

Can be used to get suggestions for:

Navigation

Menus

Taxonomies

Helps bridge the gap between designer mindset and audience mindset.

Card Sorting How do users want information grouped? How similar / different are the needs of different user groups? How many potential categories are there? What should these groups be called?

How do users want information grouped?

How similar / different are the needs of different user groups?

How many potential categories are there?

What should these groups be called?

Card Sorting Open sorting Often used early on in process Users can define their own categories Can also repeat the task dependent on a criteria of their choosing Closed sorting Used later in process Categories are pre-defined

Open sorting

Often used early on in process

Users can define their own categories

Can also repeat the task dependent on a criteria of their choosing

Closed sorting

Used later in process

Categories are pre-defined

Card Sorts Analysis Category/Criteria names verbatim agreement gist agreement super-ordinate grouping Groupings cluster analysis, tree diagram, co-occurrence matrices Number of criteria/categories

Category/Criteria names

verbatim agreement

gist agreement

super-ordinate grouping

Groupings

cluster analysis, tree diagram, co-occurrence matrices

Number of criteria/categories

Example superordinate grouping Super-ordinate grouping performed by an Independent Judge “ Your task is to interpret the criteria into super-ordinate constructs. You should try to identify where the criterion given by one respondent could be said to have meant the same as another but simply have chosen different wording.”

Co-occurrence matrix

Card Sorting Advantages Simple Cheap Quick to Execute Established User Centric Good Foundation for data

Simple

Cheap

Quick to Execute

Established

User Centric

Good Foundation for data

Card Sorting Disadvantages Emphasizes data over actions Possible to have divergent results Analysis can be time consuming Especially if little consensus between participants May capture ‘surface’ characteristics only i.e. ignoring how the data would be used

Emphasizes data over actions

Possible to have divergent results

Analysis can be time consuming

Especially if little consensus between participants

May capture ‘surface’ characteristics only

i.e. ignoring how the data would be used

Further reading http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/card_sorting_a_definitive_guide http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/analyzing_card_sort_results_with_a_spreadsheet_template http://www.cs.keele.ac.uk/km/blog/?p=10 http://delicious.com/eddequincey/Card_Sorts http://homepages.ius.edu/rwisman/n341/html/CardSorting.htm

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/card_sorting_a_definitive_guide

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/analyzing_card_sort_results_with_a_spreadsheet_template

http://www.cs.keele.ac.uk/km/blog/?p=10

http://delicious.com/eddequincey/Card_Sorts

http://homepages.ius.edu/rwisman/n341/html/CardSorting.htm