How to Use This Book

• Who Should Read This Book?
• What's in This Book?
• What Comes with the Book?

Frequently Asked Questions

Foreword

CHAPTER 1: All About Card Sorting

• My First Card Sort
• What is Card Sorting?
• Steps in a Card Sort
• How Card Sorting is Used
• A Word of Caution
• Complementary User Research Techniques
• Timing of Card Sorts in a Project
• Let's Get Sorting
• Chapter 1 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 2: All About Organizing

• The Challenges of Organizing
• Structure: Hierarchies and Databases
• Classification Schemes
• Categories
• Chapter 2 Summary/Tips
• References

CHAPTER 3: Defining the Need

• Need to Learn Broad Ideas
• Need to Check You're on Track
• Need to Explore an Idea in Detail
• Need to Compare People
• Justify a Recommendation
• Setting Goals
• Chapter 3 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 4: Choose the Method

• Open or Closed Card Sort
• Team versus Individual Card Sorts
• Manual versus Software
• Chapter 4 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 5: Choose the Content

• Locating Content
• Tips for Selecting Content
• How Much Content/How Many Cards?
• Working on Large Sites
• Chapter 5 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 6: Choose the People

• Choosing a Facilitator
• Choosing the Participants
• Chapter 6 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 7: Make the Cards

• Making Physical Cards
• Closed Card Sort: Making Category Cards
• Making "Cards" Using a Software Tool
• Chapter 7 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 8: Manage the Sort

• Prepare for Analysis
• Other Supplies
• Before You Start: The Test Run
• Run the Card Sort
• Hand Out the Cards
• Observe the Sort
• Record the Outcomes
• Chapter 8 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 9: Use Exploratory Analysis

• Goals and Exploratory Analysis
• Preparing for Exploratory Analysis
• Start the Analysis
• Chapter 9 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 10: Use Statistical Analysis

• Goals and Statistical Analysis
• Analyzing the Data
• Chapter 10 Summary/Tips

CHAPTER 11: Use What You've Learned

• Use All Inputs
• Be Practical
• Don't Assume
• Determine Categories Carefully
• Be Flexible
• Test Your IA
• Don't Rely on a Technique to Do Your Thinking

APPENDIX: Documentation

• Bare-Bones Report
• Detailed Report
• Comprehensive Report

Index

Acknowledgments

About the Author