Name possible features, functions or design attributes on separate cards and ask people to organise the cards spatially in ways that make sense to them. This helps to expose people’s mental models of a device or system. Their organisation reveals expectations and priorities about the intended functions.

Probing how people interpret systems and, more importantly, their chosen routes through them, allows the designer to predict system shortfalls or error loops. Support can be therefore be implemented or the hurdle removed altogether. As a result this method can be applied to a variety of situations and at various stages of the design process.

Designer:


  1. •A standard method for researching small or large user groups

  2. •Multiple research questions within a single set

  3. •Low-cost production

  4. •Robust, long-lasting


User Group:


  1. •Simple to understand

  2. •Tactile experience

  3. •Catalyst for questioning design decisions

This card-sort method is an interpretation and development of IDEO’s own method cards and card-sort research technique. This deck was created to focus attention upon website aspects and successfully highlighted weaknesses in design and functionality of competing sites.