THN Design
Trent Nguyen · Portfolio
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All research resources Research Method · Hybrid / Architecture · generative, IA

Card Sorting: Open

Discovering how users mentally organize content. Inputs directly to IA and navigation design. Essential when you're building a new structure from scratch.

Use When
Hybrid / Architecture
Time Needed
1-2 weeks: a few days to prepare cards, 3-5 days to field, then a few days to synthesize.
Type
generative, IA
Category
Hybrid / Architecture
Hybrid / Architecture · Use for information architecture and mental model validation.
Card Sorting: Open
generative, IA
When to Use It

Where this fits in the process.

Early IA work, when you're building a new structure from scratch and need to see how users mentally organize content.

Time Investment

How long it takes.

1-2 weeks: a few days to prepare cards, 3-5 days to field, then a few days to synthesize.

What You'll Need

Before you start.

A set of content cards, a card sorting tool, and 15-30 participants for reasonable pattern confidence.

What It's Good For

The kinds of answers you get.

Discovering how users mentally organize content. Inputs directly to IA and navigation design. Essential when you're building a new structure from scratch.

Watch Out For

Where it falls short.

Small samples limit statistical confidence. Output requires careful synthesis. Does not account for search behavior.

Template

Speed this method up with a ready-to-use Card Sort Protocol template.

Download Card Sort Protocol
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