This document outlines a card sorting exercise to help organize information on a website. It begins with an agenda and introduction to card sorting. It explains that card sorting involves users organizing labeled cards into logical groups to understand their mental models. The document provides context on web design and discusses mental models. It then gives directions for participants to individually sort cards before sharing their results. The goal is to validate categories and discover new ones to inform navigation, menus and taxonomies. Examples of card sorting outputs are also included.

1. Card Sorting Exercise
Sorting Things Out
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

2. A G E N D A
• What is card sorting
• Understanding the context of web design
• Mental models
• Card sort exercise (individual)
• Sharing your card sort
• Group processing
• Next steps
• Early designs by James Breen
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

3. “The beginning of all
understanding is classification”
- Hyden White
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

4. How do we organize all that information?
Card Sorting can help
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

5. What is a Card Sort?
A card sort is a user-centered design method
for increasing a system’s findability.
The process involves sorting a series of cards,
each labeled with a piece of content or
functionality, into groups that make sense to
users or participants.
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

6. Some context on web design

7. Surface

8. Strategy

9. Scope

10. Structure

11. Skeleton

12. How do people think?
COLOR?
HEIGHT? SHAPE?

13. Mental Models
“Mental models are deeply held internal images
of how the world works, images that limit us to
familiar ways of thinking and acting. Very often,
we are not consciously aware of our mental
models or the effects they have on our behavior”
- Peter Senge
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

14. Mental Models
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

15. Mental Models
Sender’sMaturity
Participation
Telling
Testing
Selling
Co-creating
Consulting

16. Questions
Why are
most people
coming to
the site?
Are these people finding what
they came for?
Yes or No
How do we know?
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

17. There are different ways to sort

18. First Level
Vegetables
Fruit

19. Secondary Level
Vegetables
FruitCarrots
Beets
Peppers
Grapes
Bananas
Pineapple
Potatoes
Pears

20. Third Level
Vegetables
FruitCarrots
Beets
Peppers
Grapes
Bananas
Pineapple
Potatoes Pears
Red Peppers
Yellow Peppers
Bosc Pears

21. Why Use Card Sorting?
Quick, inexpensive and reliable method
Which serves as input
Into the information design process
Card sorting provides suggestions into:
navigation, menus and taxonomies
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

22. Example of a Card Sort

23. Card Sorting is…
“deceptively
simple”
Hiram A. Quinones
Business Access LLC

24. Our Goal Today
Validate categories
Maybe discover
new categories

25. Let’s give it a go!
• Everyone has the same cards
• Go through the cards first
• Organize the cards based on how you organize
things.
• If you feel there is information missing, you
may use the blank cards to add your own
information.
• When the card sorting time closes, share how
you categorized the content.
• Keep your cards in the order you created and
hand them to the facilitator.

26. Want to learn more?

27. Want to learn more?
http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/card_sorting_a_definitive_guide

28. Want to learn more?
http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/pipermail/lis-forum/2007-May/005811.html

29. Preliminary design – minimal
Message - transformation

30. Preliminary design – slider
Message - products

31. Final Design – slider
Message – developing Americans