Card Sorting
Understand how users mentally organize information to build intuitive navigation.
What is it?
Card sorting is a participatory design method where users group labeled cards into categories that make sense to them. It reveals users' mental models and helps design information architectures that match real expectations rather than internal assumptions.
When to use it
Use card sorting early in a project when defining navigation, menu structures, or content categorization. It's especially valuable when redesigning an existing product or launching a new feature with complex information.
How to do it
List all the content items, features, or pages you need to organize on individual cards.
Recruit 15-20 participants representative of your target audience.
Choose open sorting (users create categories) or closed sorting (predefined categories).
Ask participants to group cards and label their categories (if open sort).
Analyze patterns using a similarity matrix to identify common groupings.
Pro tips
Combine open and closed sorts: start open to discover models, then validate with closed.
Use digital tools like Optimal Workshop or Maze for remote sessions at scale.
Cards should represent real content, not abstract concepts. Use plain language.