4 card sorting examples
Explore our card sorting examples to improve your website's information architecture. Learn how users categorize content for better navigation and UX.
Card sorting guide: Definition, methods & best practices
Organizing content is key to a great user experience, but real impact comes from understanding how your target users think. That’s where card sorting comes in. Card sorting is a simple yet powerful method for uncovering how your audience naturally organizes information.
Imagine you’re revamping a retail site – card sorting can reveal whether users prefer grouping items by brand or by product type, helping you structure navigation around their preferences. By seeing how they intuitively group and label information, you can design an experience where every interaction feels seamless.
In this chapter, we look at four real-world card sorting examples to inspire your next UX project. We’ll also give you some useful tips and best practices to get the very best out of your own efforts.
Key takeaways
Card sorting is a flexible UX research method that helps you understand how users naturally group and categorize information.
Whether you're refining an existing website or designing a new one, open and closed card sorting can dramatically improve your information architecture by aligning it with users' mental models.
Running these exercises can reveal hidden usability issues, offer insights into user expectations, and guide more intuitive content organization.
Tools like Lyssna simplify the card sorting process with customizable templates, fast participant recruitment, and insightful reporting tools to help you make data-driven decisions quickly.
4 card sorting examples
Now that we’ve covered why card sorting is such a powerful tool, let’s look at four real-world examples. We also share some templates you can use to get started.
Whether you’re refining your information architecture or tailoring your product to meet user needs, these examples will provide you with practical tools and inspiration.
Example 1: Improve information architecture
Closed card sorting is a great way to fine-tune your website’s structure. Using predefined categories, you can see how users group content, helping you make your site layout more intuitive.
What you’ll discover using this template:
How users group and label content, giving you a clear view of their understanding.
Where users expect to find certain content, helping you resolve mismatches with your current layout.
Content areas that overlap or cause confusion, pinpointing where you can simplify structure.
Use this card sorting template
How to use this template:
Head to the above link, open the template, and log into your Lyssna account (or sign up for a free plan).
Customize it according to your content needs.
Preview, save, or recruit participants when ready.
Publish your test and then analyze the feedback to refine your information architecture.
Example 2: Create an intuitive IA with open card sorting
Open card sorting allows users to group items freely, offering insights into how they naturally organize information. This approach is ideal when creating a new structure or improving an existing one.
What you’ll discover using this template:
How users intuitively group content, giving you a roadmap for organizing your site.
Potential confusion points – like users grouping unexpected items together – showing where clearer labels may help.
Users’ preferred language, so you can match terms to improve usability.
Missing content or categories users expect but don’t find, helping you identify gaps.
Use this open card sorting template
How to use this template:
Head to the above link, open the template, and log into your Lyssna account (or sign up for a free plan).
Customize it to fit your content needs.
Preview or save and recruit participants when ready.
Publish your test and gather feedback for better alignment with user expectations.
Example 3: Optimize your IA with card sorting
If you’re refining your website’s structure, open card sorting reveals how users naturally categorize and prioritize content. By asking users to arrange cards as they see fit, you gain clear feedback on how to organize your site to fit their needs.
What you’ll discover using this template:
How users logically arrange content, helping you structure your site around their mental models.
The hierarchy users naturally apply to content, guiding you to create smoother navigation.
Specific usability issues or pain points users encounter, allowing you to improve the overall experience.
How to use this template:
Head to the above link, open the template, and log into your Lyssna account (or sign up for a free plan).
Adjust it to reflect the content or features you’re testing.
Preview, save, or recruit participants when ready.
Publish your test and collect feedback to optimize your information architecture.
Example 4: Prioritize product features
Steering your product roadmap can be tricky, but you can run a closed card sort to help simplify things. This template asks participants to categorize features as high, medium, or low priority, helping you focus on what matters most to your users.
What you’ll discover using this template:
Which features users prioritize, giving you clarity on what to develop first.
How users rank features, so you can better match your product to their needs.
Clear direction for development, ensuring critical features get attention.
How to use this template:
Head to the above link, open the template, and log into your Lyssna account (or sign up for a free plan).
Adjust it to reflect your specific product features.
Preview, save, and recruit participants.
Publish your test to gather feedback to inform your product roadmap.
How to run a card sort
Start with clear goals and careful planning. Here’s our guide to help you through each step:
Define your objectives: Decide what you want to learn, whether it’s refining navigation or understanding how users categorize information. For instance, if your goal is to improve site navigation, pinpoint the areas users may find confusing.
Choose a method:
Open card sorting: Participants create and label their own categories – ideal for early-stage research.
Closed card sorting: Participants sort cards into predefined categories, which is useful for evaluating an existing structure.
Hybrid card sorting: A mix of both, allowing users to sort into predefined categories and create their own as needed. (Note: Hybrid card sorting isn't available in Lyssna.)
Prepare your cards: Create concise, easy-to-understand cards representing key content or features.
Recruit participants: Choose participants who reflect your target audience for the most relevant insights.
Run the exercise: Use a tool like Lyssna to conduct your test. Remember to include instructions and any follow-up questions.
Analyze the results: Look for patterns, groupings, and confusion points to guide design or navigation adjustments.
Best practices:
Limit cards to 30–40 to avoid overwhelming participants.
Use clear, unbiased text for each card.
Consider adding images for clarity.
Post-study: Analyzing the results
After running your card sort, it’s time to analyze the results and uncover how users categorize information. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Identify high-level patterns: Look for common groupings and frequently used category names. For closed card sorts, focus on the most popular categories. In open card sorts, check for patterns in the category names your participants use.
Standardize categories: For open card sorts, combine similar category labels by merging variations in spelling or wording to keep your results consistent.
Use built-in reporting tools: Lyssna offers analysis tools like an agreement matrix, which shows how often participants group the same cards. For open card sorts, the similarity matrix highlights how frequently pairs of cards were sorted together.
Identify clusters and outliers: Find strong clusters, which reveal high associations between items. Outliers – cards that appear in multiple categories – may indicate different user mental models. For example, if users consistently group product categories together, that’s a strong cluster. But if a product frequently appears in multiple categories, it may signal varied expectations.
Define and validate categories: For open card sorts, use the data to finalize standardized categories. Validate these categories in a follow-up closed card sort to ensure consistency.
Combine qualitative and quantitative data: Use qualitative feedback to add context to the patterns and trends in your quantitative data.
Communicate findings: Compile a report that highlights patterns, clusters, and outliers. Share these insights with your team to guide content structure decisions.
Refine based on the results: Use the data to confidently adjust your information architecture, ensuring it aligns with user expectations.
Final thoughts
Card sorting isn’t just a helpful research method — it’s a window into how your users think. Whether you’re refining an existing structure or building an entirely new product, this method gives you the insights needed to make smarter, user-centered design decisions.
But the real power lies in how you act on these insights.
What patterns are emerging? Where are users struggling?
An easy-to-navigate product isn’t just practical; it keeps users coming back because it meets their needs. It’s less about extra features and more about reducing friction. Imagine what you could achieve if every interaction felt effortless?
Let these examples be your first step in finding out.