What does a card sorting example look like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA closed card sorting example might ask respondents to sort a list of movies, such as The Conjuring, Due Date, Terminator: Dark Fate, Annabelle, Hangover, and Avengers: Endgame, into predefined genres like action, horror, and comedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the categories already exist and are universally understood, closed sorting here simply measures agreement: does the audience place “The Conjuring” in horror the way you expect, or do a meaningful share of respondents see it differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An open card sorting example uses the same list of movies, but respondents create their own category names instead of choosing from action, horror, and comedy. This version is more useful when you are not certain your assumed categories match how your audience actually thinks about the content, or when you want to capture the specific language people use to describe each group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you set up a closed card sorting question?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSetting up closed card sorting starts with defining your categories before you add any items, since respondents will sort cards into those fixed groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Go to Login, then Surveys, select your survey, then Edit and Workspace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click Add Question, then under advanced question types and ordering, select Card Sorting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add your question text, predefined categories, and answer options. Use the bulk edit option to paste in content quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Under Settings, select Closed as the answer type.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choose an answer display order: default, ascending, descending, random, or advanced randomization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Apply validation settings to require a response or a minimum number of sorted items.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Respondents see the answer options in a box on one side of the screen and drag each one into the appropriate category box on the other side. In the movie example, “The Conjuring” would move into the horror category and “Hangover” into comedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you analyze closed card sorting results?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nClosed card sorting results show, for each item, the count and percentage of respondents who placed it in each category, along with its average ranking within that category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If 91% of respondents categorized “The Conjuring” as horror and 8% categorized it as action, that tells you the item’s category assignment is strong but not unanimous. Comparing count and rank across similar items, such as two movies that both received horror votes, shows which one respondents consider the stronger fit for that category overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you set up an open card sorting question?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOpen card sorting follows nearly the same setup process as closed sorting, with one key difference: you skip defining categories in advance and instead instruct respondents to create their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Go to Login, then Surveys, select your survey, then Edit and Workspace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click Add Question, then under advanced question types and ordering, select Card Sorting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add your question text and answer options, using bulk edit to paste content quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Under Settings, select Open as the answer type.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Choose an answer display order, the same options available for closed sorting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Apply validation settings to require a response.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Make sure your question instructions clearly explain that respondents need to create categories themselves before dragging items into them. Respondents drag an item into a box labeled to create a new category, name that category, and repeat the process, building their own structure as they go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you analyze open card sorting results?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOpen card sorting results show the categories respondents created themselves, along with each item’s count, percentage, and average rank within the categories the audience generated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using the movie example again, if respondents created comedy, horror, and action on their own without being prompted, and “Due Date” received a 100% comedy categorization with the highest average rank, that tells you not just where the item belongs, but that your audience’s natural category structure closely matches an industry-standard genre system. When it does not match, that mismatch is often the most valuable finding of the entire exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What mistakes should you avoid with card sorting?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA handful of avoidable mistakes weaken card sorting data more than any single setup error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Using too many items.<\/strong>
More than 30 to 40 cards makes the task tedious and increases dropout.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Mixing item types that do not belong together.<\/strong>
Sorting products, features, and marketing phrases in one list confuses respondents about what they are actually organizing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Choosing closed sorting when categories are still unclear.<\/strong>
This forces respondents into groups that do not reflect how they actually think, producing misleading agreement rates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n- Skipping a pilot test.<\/strong>
A small test group catches confusing item wording before it affects your full sample.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nPutting Card Sorting to Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCard sorting replaces assumptions with real user data, bridging the gap between how your team organizes content and how your audience actually processes it. Whether you opt for open sorting to uncover fresh user mental models or closed sorting to validate an existing setup, capturing these insights early on saves you from costly redesigns down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep your card counts manageable, stick to one item type at a time, and listen to the patterns that emerge. As a result, your navigation, product categories, and overall user experience will be much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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