Blog Archive

August 20, 2009: Card sorting doesn't cut the custard

Here's a really good post from Zef Fugaz called Card sorting doesn't cut the custard, where he talks about how we should make sure information is accessible in more than one way and how card sorting seems to encourage just...

July 1, 2009: Inviting the guests to cook the food

I received an interesting comment today, that basically said that card sorting was a ridiculous idea and akin to "inviting the guests of a restaurant to make the food in the kitchen with the cooks". People don't say this to...

May 15, 2009: First review

Thank you very much to Matthew Sanders for the first review of my Card sorting book. Phew - he liked it, and provided good suggestions for some things I didn't cover. Book review: Card Sorting by Donna Spencer, by Matthew...

May 2, 2009: My card sorting book is available

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of becoming a published author. My book on card sorting is now available. You can buy it right here from the website - either the printed version (plus digital) or digital alone. Or...

March 20, 2009: Book images are up (in Flickr) (1 comments)

We've made all the images in Card Sorting: Designing Usable Categories available via Flickr. View, download and use in your own presentations, make them your desktop background... whatever suits your fancy. And the book is at the printer, so it...

March 7, 2009: Update and testimonials (0 comments)

Just a note from Donna's publisher: the book should be at the printer today, which means it'll go on sale in about a month. We're very excited! So are other people; have a look at these testimonials....

October 27, 2008: Card sorting software tools (0 comments)

Wondering what tools are available to conduct card sorts? Have a look at these: Optimal Sort - Online card sorting tool. Open and closed sort, with a range of analysis options (including my analysis spreadsheet) Websort - Online card sorting...

September 12, 2007: Eurostar Card Sorting Case Study (0 comments)

Eurostar Card Sorting Case Study Etre In September 2005, our company—Etre—was engaged by Eurostar to help redevelop its global web presence. Eurostar is the high-speed train service that connects the UK with mainland Europe and has been named "World’s Leading...

September 12, 2007: Card Sorting: Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned (1 comments)

UX Matters have a new article on card sorting, by Sam Ng: Card Sorting: Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned. It is a great article, not about how to do card sorting, but about different situations in which Sam has applied...

August 30, 2007: Online sorter boosts usability (0 comments)

Card sorting has made it into Computerworld: Online sorter boosts usability Congratulations to the guys at Optimal Usability....

August 22, 2007: An interview with me (0 comments)

I had a chat with Sam Ng from Optimal Usability recently about - get this - card sorting. Here it is - it turned out pretty well: An interview with a card sorting pro...

June 19, 2007: Participate in a card sort? (2 comments)

I mentioned last week that there is a new card sorting tool available called OptimalSort. I've set up a card sort and would love you to participate - give you a chance to play with the tool. The card sort...

June 14, 2007: A new card sorting tool (0 comments)

My friends at Optimal Usability have released their brand-spanking new card sorting tool into beta release (it's free until August). Their tool, called OptimalSort, caters for open and closed card sorts. The sorting interface is a spatial drag-and-drop. The thing...

June 7, 2007: Card sort analysis spreadsheet (29 comments)

Over the past few years I have been slowly developing and refining a spreadsheet I use for analysis of card sorts. I have used it on many projects and find it invaluable for helping me manage the data and spot...

May 15, 2007: A new article on card sorting

Digital Web have a new article on card sorting, by Ruth Stalker-Firth: Anyone for a game of cards...

April 30, 2007: I really am a morning person (2 comments)

Last year I talked to many authors about different aspects of writing. I talked to Dan Saffer about how he managed to write his book while working a full-time job. He told me he wrote for an hour every morning...

April 26, 2007: Yes, I am working on it

I posted a few months ago and said I'd be getting back into the book after the IA Summit was over. Well, that promise has come true and I am writing again. It is interesting looking at a manuscript after...

February 27, 2007: It's so quiet here...no card sorting? (0 comments)

It has been a long while since I posted anything about the progress of the card sorting book. Rest assured, I am still here, and still writing. I'm just doing it a bit slowly, in between crazy bouts of work...

October 25, 2006: New survey - variants to the card sorting technique (0 comments)

I'm writing a chapter on variations to the standard card sorting technique and am running a survey to learn about the ways you have used card sorting in a way that may be different to the standard technique. There are...

October 18, 2006: Did you say this? (0 comments)

In the first survey I ran for the book, someone made this great comment: "The boss simply went through them going yup, yup, yup, yup, yup, yup, putting them in piles whilst the junior looked on. The boss didn't really...

September 13, 2006: Card sorting interview on UXPod (0 comments)

Recently I talked with Gerry Gaffney, from Information & Design for his UXPod show about card sorting. The interview is now ready. In it I talk about some of my approaches to card sorting, why I don't do closed card...

July 27, 2006: How to get a book written (1 comments)

I figured out the magic secret to getting great chunks of writing done. Here it is: move to somewhere near Canberra book a very early morning flight out of Canberra, in the middle of winter miss the text message from...

July 24, 2006: I finally understand cluster analysis (2 comments)

After a few days of reading boring articles about statistics, looking at dendrograms, pulling data apart and seeing how things work, I finally understand the basics of cluster analysis. I'm not sure whether my description of it and how to...

July 5, 2006: Can you participate in a card sort? (0 comments)

As I mentioned last week, I'm currently writing about analysis. And in order to do so, I'm putting together an example to demonstrate analysis methods, cluster diagrams and more.I'm also planning on including a chapter on card sorting tools, and...

June 30, 2006: Writing is so much fun (0 comments)

I talked to a bunch of author friends at the IA Summit this year, trying to find out just what was so hard about writing and why they all go overboard thanking their partners. I'm going to say naively that...

May 5, 2006: 2 days to go - card sorting survey (0 comments)

The survey about about your card sorting experiences is still open (until Sunday 7 May 2006). If you haven't filled it in already, please do so - it helps me to make sure I'm answering the right questions. If you...

May 1, 2006: Writing - first week in (0 comments)

I spent most of last week writing. This surprises even me - to sit down and write for long periods was a very strange experience and actually made me feel a bit like a writer (lucky that!). I got words...

April 21, 2006: The card sorting book is underway (0 comments)

I’m very excited to announce that, between now and the end of the year, I will be writing a book on card sorting. Specifically, it will be about how to use card sorting in information architecture and similar projects. I...