The We are testers platform has just been upgraded with the addition of a new card sorting module. This new solution complements the wide range of UX research solutions and is designed to make the information architecture of a digital environment intuitive for the user. The new card sorting module can be used in ‘do-it-yourself’ mode or managed by We are testers’ UX research experts.
The card sorting technique is a method widely used in UX research to understand how people group, organise and label information. It basically consists of giving participants a set of cards, each with a concept, functionality or content, and asking them to organise them in a way that makes sense to them.
The aim of a card sorting study is to discover users’ mental logic and understand how they expect to find information. The results of the test can be used to design or improve information architectures: menus, categories, sections of a website or app. Card sorting tests also allow you to validate nomenclature by checking whether category names are clear to users.
There are three basic types of card sorting:
The new module allows you to carry out closed and hybrid card sorting tests. Creating a card sorting test is easy and very intuitive and can be organised in a ‘do-it-yourself’ mode in which the client defines the characteristics of the test and launches it in the field. If you prefer, at We are testers we can manage the project from start to finish, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
A card sorting study can be easily organised in a few steps.
Log in and choose ‘UX Research’ in the product type.
There you will see a menu with the different tests available: quantitative studies (usability tests with tasks and large samples), video usability tests (the full range of thinking aloud studies), click testing, and now the new card sorting.
There are two main sources of users. If you want us to provide users from We are testers, select ‘WAT Community Panelists’. Remember that we have 130,000 users available to participate in testing, so we will most likely be able to find exactly the users you need in our panel. However, if you prefer, you can also use the new card sorting module with your own users. If your app or website is used by a professional audience or you have a very small user base, you may be interested in this second option. Check out our post on user recruitment to assess the suitability of this option.
Now create a list of the cards you want to use in the test. You can create as many as you want, although we recommend creating a maximum of 60 or 70 cards. Beyond that number, the task becomes too long and tiring, which can affect the quality of the results. Also consider the difficulty of the cards. If the cards are very technical, it is best to use fewer.
Click on ‘Card options’ if you want them to be presented to users randomly (recommended).
Finally, choose whether you want to organise a closed card sorting or a hybrid one where users can create new categories. In both cases, you will then be asked to create the categories for your test. Remember that in hybrid card sorting, users can create new categories if they wish.
There you have it. Now it’s the users’ turn. They will have to sort the cards into the different categories you have created and define new categories if they wish in hybrid card sorting.
Once the fieldwork is complete, you can analyse the results using two tools. The first is a similarity matrix, which shows you how closely related one card is to another in the minds of users. The second is a dendrogram, a tree-shaped diagram that shows how elements are grouped according to their similarity.
Whether you are creating a new digital environment or need to optimise an existing one, card sorting testing is ideal for creating the ideal information architecture. Use it to design menus and navigation systems that help your users always find what they are looking for.
As you have seen, creating card sorting tests with the We are testers research platform is very easy. We can provide you with the ideal users from our consumer and user panel. And when you decide to go ahead, you will have all the help you need from a team of research experts. Contact us today and make sure you have the best information architecture for your website or app.
Update date 27 September, 2025
