Card Sorting

Experts in the usability field call card sorting "the best usability method for finding users' mental models of an information space." In a card sorting exercise, a user is given a group of index cards. Written on each card is the name of one task or type of information that the user will find in the web site or application. The cards are presented in random order. The user is asked to sort the cards into groups of similar items and label them, which demonstrates how the user would group and look for those items on a web site. Because this test is conducted in a relaxed atmosphere with few rules and freedom of movement, testers often comment on what they're doing and thinking, providing a wealth of insight into their reaction to the product being tested and how their company uses the product.

Sample analysis

How many chunked their cards under administrative
1. support
2. administrative task
3. --
4. --
5. --
6. online tech support
7. admin functions
8. --
9. visible to admins only
10. admin
11. administrative
12. site administration/administrative view
13. administration
14. administration

50% of the users labeled a section of their cards admin or administration

How many chunked their cards under a process
1. activity-event construction
2. buyer tasks
3. auctions or working with auctions
4. auctions
5. core process (aka RFQ process or auction process)
6. purchasing process
7. buyer set up an auction
8. –
9. buyer set up an auction
10. –
11. auctions
12. sourcing
13. event management
14. auction related activities-transactional

86% (12/14) of the users had a process or timeline.
50% (7/14) of the users labeled their process "auctions"
(2/14) of the users labeled their process "event"
(2/14) of the users labeled their process "process"
(1/14) of the users labeled their process "sourcing"

Administrators labeled with verbs and Buyers and Managers with nouns.