Card Sorting Method
Card Sorting is a User-Centered Design method for structuring and classifying information.
Test users sort index cards into clusters, whereas the index cards represent the contents of a website. Each card referes to one specific content. The exercise ends when the test users label their formed groups. The result (for example a taxonomy) serves as a good starting point for defining the Information Architecture of a Website.
There are two major techniques: Open Card Sort and Closed Card Sort. In Open Card Sort, test users can define their own categories (This method is often used early in the design lifecycle). In closed Card Sort, the categories are predefined (This method ist mainly used when a existing website should by restructured).
CardSort Functions
CardSort allows to create cardsets with at most 100 cards (The analysing tool EZCalc cannot handle more) and to define categories (unlike other existing Card Sorting tools). Users can sort these cards (represented by index cards) visually per drag&drop and save the results in a file.
Analysing the Results
The analysis of the results is the most important advantage of computer aided Card Sorting. In the paper-based version, the results of the different users are mostly compared by eye-balling which is often imprecise or by a manual statistical analysis which is very time-consuming.
The CardSort files can be analysed digitally, because they are compatible with the Analysing Software EZCalc from IBM. With EZCalc, the different inputs can be merged. The final result is visually represented by a tree diagram or a relationship diagram.
Status Quo
CardSort is not yet free from bugs. If you notice any problems or if you have other recommendations feel free to contact me.
New Version
At the beginning of next year, I want to start with building up a new version of CardSort. Some problems of the current version should be solved with the new release. This is mainly about the problem that until now, Card Titles cannot have more than 18 characters. I hope, I can release the version next May.
History
I developed CardSort while writing my diploma thesis Concept and Implementation of a Card Sorting Tool from May to September 2003. The output was a theoretical thesis dealing with topics like User-Centered Design, Information Architecture or Mental Models and a practical work, the CardSort Software.
Technical Environment
CardSort is programmed in Java Swing (jdk 1.4). Eclipse served as a programming environment. The -exe File is created with JSmooth 0.92, the win32-installer with MakeNSISW 1.9 (All softwares are available for free in the internet).