Card sorting helps shape a website or application’s information architecture: the way pages and content are organized. Participants group content by where they expect to find it, turning navigation decisions into evidence rather than guesses. It is a relatively low-cost research method for clarifying menu structure before building it. section 4.2.3
Begin by putting each main content topic on a card or sticky note. For remote sessions, use an online tool or arrange cards on Figma artboards. Use existing section titles when available, so participants can focus on organization rather than inventing content. section 4.2.3
Choose the format based on whether navigation categories are still being discovered:
- Open card sort: participants create groups and name them. Their labels can suggest main navigation items. section 4.2.3
- Closed card sort: participants place content into predefined categories. This tests how well proposed categories match expectations. section 4.2.3
- Run the exercise with at least three users. Compare recurring groupings and labels, then use the patterns to define the content structure. section 4.2.3
Planning a site menu
Write planned pages such as product information, support content, and company details on separate cards. In an open sort, repeated participant groupings and names indicate navigation categories users are likely to understand. section 4.2.3
