General
Card-Sorting is a method to structure multiple terms. This method is particularly suitable for surveys to define topics and group questions in advance.
Groups or individuals can utilize Card-Sorting. This method should be executed target group-specific. The target group corresponds to the target group of the questionnaire. The implementation is not localized and can be executed online, for example.
There are three sorting-approaches:
- Closed Card-Sorting,
- Open Card-Sorting und
- Reverse Card-Sorting.
Closed Card-Sorting: Specification of generic terms to which the cards should be assigned.
Open Card-Sorting: No specification of generic terms. The participants create generic terms on their own. There is the possibility of limiting the number of categories.
Reverse Card-Sorting: There is already an existing structure of elements. The structure of the elements gets evaluated. The Reverse Card-Sorting serves:
- To examine how well users can navigate within the existing structure.
- To query information that can be found in the existing structure.
- To analyze whether the participant can find the information.
Execution
- Write the structure elements on cards of the same size
- Blend all cards
- Explain the procedure to the participants
- Hand out the blended cards and blank cards
- Blank cards can be filled out by the participants
- Optional: Execute a wording analysis [1]
- Assignment of the cards to the generic terms by the participants
- Analysis of the resulting structure (tools/manually)
- Detection of hidden patterns, to create intuitive structures
There are three techniques for execution:
- One participant and one observer
- In the group – on their own
- In the group - together
[1] Query the understanding of the terms