Card Sorting and Cluster Analysis

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Card Sorting and Cluster Analysis
Sophie Wood Agency Support Services
woodj3_at_michigan.gov
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Card Sorting Cluster Analysis

• What is card sorting and why conduct a card sort
  study?
• Card sorting basics
• Tools for an online card sort study

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Why Conduct a Card Sort?

• To learn from users of the system how they group
  a list of content, functions or ideas and what
  they call those groups.
• To validate the organization of an existing site
  or application before working on a re-design.
• To avoid designing a web site or application from
  the developers/organizations point of view.
• Takes out opinion when designing a taxonomy for a
  site.

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What is Card Sorting?

• Card sorting is a method for discovering the
  latent structure in an unsorted list of
  statements or ideas.
• If the informants are representative of the user
  population for whom the application is being
  designed, then the result will reflect the
  structure in which the users expect the ideas or
  concepts should be presented.
• www.UsabilityNet.org

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What Card Sorting Ignores

• Business requirements
• Strategic direction
• Technical goals and limitations
• Existing site/application guidelines

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Card Sorting Basics

• Index cards are prepared. Each card has a single
  item from the list on the front and a long
  description on the back. Descriptions are
  included to clarify what each item represents.

The flower of flowers
Rose
Back of Card
Front of Card
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Card Sorting Basics

• Users are asked to sort the set cards into
  logical groups (cluster) and name each group.

Blue
Rose
Pansy
Lemon
Apple
Violet
Peach
Brown
Red
Cherry
Petunia
Green
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Card Sorting Basics
Blue
Rose
Lemon
Violet
COLORS
Peach
Brown
Red
Green
Apple
Cherry
FRUIT
Pansy
Petunia
FLOWERS
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Card Sorting Basics

• Index cards are prepared.
• Users are asked to sort the set cards into
  logical groups (clusters) and name each group.
• Results of the individual card sorts are recorded
  and analysis is done.
• Recommendations for organization of
  site/page/application are made.

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Tool for a Web-based Card sort

• A spreadsheet is prepared with items and
  descriptions.
• Card Sort Study is created.
• Users are invited via email to participate in the
  card sort study via the web.
• After the card sorts are complete, view cluster
  tree (taxonomy) of results.
• Individual results are exportable as .csv file
  and include names of groups (clusters).

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Summary

• Card sorting is a way to find out how users see
  the information/concepts/functions we provide and
  can provide the basis for a site taxonomy.
• Tools exist to simplify the creation of a study
  and the analysis of the results.
• Cards should be sorted by real users to provide
  meaningful results.
• Study results are not necessarily the whole
  picture and dont include things like business
  goals and strategic direction.

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Any Questions?

• Sophie Wood
• woodj3_at_michigan.gov
• 517-335-7897