[Sigia-l] Card sorting? Why?

[Thomas Vander Wal]

Additionally, card sort is a great tool to see what has changed with
how people associate information.  Task needs change and new people to
a site/intranet can change how information can be or should be
grouped.  Beginning with the correct terms to run the card sort is the
key (if you use nothing else use the existing site map or navigation
structure and be sure to included top searched pages, top pages not
found that were requested to the *contact*, business suggested
structure topics, etc.

The card sort is a great tool for figuring out if business lead
organization and topics work, top level vocabulary assessment, and
great for identifying questions we need to address later.  They are a
great initial discovery tool as well as one to run periodically over
time.  If associated information is important to capture and/or
navigation/browsing structures the card sort is a rather inexpensive
and great tool for revealing first steps and must address.

All the best,
Thomas

www.infocloudsolutions.com
www.personalinfocloud.com
www.vanderwal.net

On 11/15/05, Justin Morelli <jmorelli at auragen.com> wrote:
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>What am I missing here?
>
> >Nothing.  You got it all.  The alternative, of course, is to get the design
> >input data from surveys, card sorts, focus groups, subject matter experts,
> >etc.; then develop potential architectures; then test with actual users,
> >then repeat as necessary 'til done.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To build upon this point, when dealing with multiple clients each in their
> own particular business market, it is unlikely that that we could be content
> experts in each of those markets.  Card sorting is another tool to help us
> understand the terminology and structure in a particular market as it
> relates to that market's customers or users.
>
> Thanks,
> Justin
>
> |||
> ||| Justin Morelli - User Experience Designer
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