[Sigia-l] Card sorting

[Bill Killam]

Malahat writes...

>How can you make sure that the way people "sort " things is going to be the
>same as how they will be "looking " for things?

This is probably the most significant issues with card sort data - card
sorting is problem based on a bottom up view of data; looking for
information in a structure is a problem based on a top down view of the same
data.  And there is not a single structure for any given data set.  There
are often several possible structures depending on the approach taken.  

When looking for information, users are attempting to detect the rules that
determined the structure.  If the organization is consistent with the rules
they might have applied themselves in organizing the data, they will be more
likely to detect the pattern, verify it through experience, and then work
effectively.  This occurs when the rules used to determine the structure
match the rules the user would apply, which MAY be obtained from a card sort
using users (if done carefully) or from subject matter experts, from a
combination of both, or a number of other techniques.  However, if the users
can't detect the pattern (it's not consistent with their association rules
or there is insufficient feedback, etc.) additional experience will be
required and they may never learn the pattern and always have problems.

To directly answer the question - the way to make sure is to design it
(using ANY technique), build it, test it, detect any issues, fix them,
repeat as necessary.  The difference will be in how many issues and
iteration you will need to reach a point of satisfaction, which is primarily
determined by the initial techniques (and how well you do it) and luck.  

Bill
------------------------------------------------------
Bill Killam, MA CHFP
President, User-Centered Design, Inc.
20548 Deerwatch Place
Ashburn, VA 20147
email: bkillam at user-centereddesign.com
Work/Fax: (703) 729-0998
Mobile: (703) 626-6318
Web: www.user-centereddesign.com


-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-bounces at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-bounces at asis.org] On Behalf
Of Malahat Hosseini
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 10:35 PM
To: donna at maadmob.net
Cc: sigia-l at asis.org
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Card sorting

I have a question:


For instance I can see the case of someone putting everything that has the
word " information" in it in one category; but I am sure the same person
might not look for those items all in one category when faced with an
organized system...I wonder if I have been able to convey what I mean.

I am curious to know how you  communicate this to people... 

On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 08:12:31 +1000 donna at maadmob.net wrote:
> My definition ;) I haven't written a grand definition of card sorting
> - maybe I should...
> 
> In my definition, there must be:
> - a goal (ie you're doing it to find out something)
> - user involvement (ie, not just the design team)
> - creating groups out of something (usually content, sometimes topics) 
> - it isn't really 
> sorting at all - sorting can be into a sequence and we want people to
> group stuff
> 
> It doesn't need to use index cards - online sorting tools don't ;)
> 
> Donna
> 
> 
> On 25 Apr 2006 at 16:43, Switzky, Andrew wrote:
> 
> > Donna,
> > 
> > What's your definition of a card sort?
> > 
> > Andy
> > 
> -- 
> Donna Maurer
> Maadmob Interaction Design
> 
> e: donna at maadmob.net
> web:	http://maadmob.net/
> book: http://www.rosenfeldmedia.com/books/cardsorting/
> AOL IM: maadmob
> 
> 
> ------------
> When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
> *Plain text, please; NO Attachments
> 
> Searchable Archive at http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/
> 
> Most presentations/papers and posters have been loaded to the IA
> Summit 06 website:
> 
> http://iasummit.org/2006/conferencedescrip.htm
> http://iasummit.org/2006/posters.htm
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________________
> Sigia-l mailing list -- post to: Sigia-l at asis.org
> Changes to subscription: http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigia-l
> 
------------
When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
*Plain text, please; NO Attachments

Searchable Archive at http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/

Most presentations/papers and posters have been loaded to the IA Summit 06
website:

http://iasummit.org/2006/conferencedescrip.htm
http://iasummit.org/2006/posters.htm



________________________________________
Sigia-l mailing list -- post to: Sigia-l at asis.org
Changes to subscription: http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigia-l