In this situation I had plenty of other user research – I wasn’t going to be assuming I knew enough about them.

Something I did know was that individual users were very focused only on their topic of interest – a very small proportion of the whole information set. In a card sort they wouldn’t care enough (or know enough) about the rest of the content to do a decent sort.

So sure, I may have learned something. I always learn something. But I didn’t think I would learn enough.

And it isn’t a matter of a 20 minute card sort – I would have had to spend at least half a day contacting people, arranging for them to do the sort, then another half analysing the results. I still don’t think I would have got enough good information from a card sort to justify the planning & analysis. Especially as I had other good user research already.

A simple card sorting session with a small group can take less than 20 minutes, I don’t see how that would be overkill. At the very least it will confirm your assumptions. I haven’t read your book yet though, so I don’t know what’s your exact POV here.

happy new year!

One thing that stood out for me has to do with choosing the appropriate method.

I recently worked on a relatively small site but found myself starting to think about card sorting. I stopped because I realised that I know the content and users quite well. I’d already spent considerable time in discovery with the client. So I was able to draft my spreadsheet and get stuck into it.

A card sort exercise, in this instance, would be an overkill. I could better spend the time getting the copy written correctly for example.

Thanks!

I get asked all the time if my brain is wired in some strange way because this all comes “naturally” to me. As you say though, card sorts are only 1 way, there’s usually other research or observations you can use too.

As for the post-it notes, they also work really well on a glass wall…

As a side note, you feature in this week’s eGov newsletter at http://www.egov.vic.gov.au/newsletters/200809.html

Jason

The only problem now is when someone who didn’t have a clue pulls an IA out of thin air – Its very hard to argue that they are wrong just because you have more ‘magic’ than them. Card sorting was such a nice concrete thing to use as a defence.

In the end that particular problem was solved for me when they offered me lots of money to go away. Now the organisation is trying to work out how to justify a complete (professional) redesign on a web site that’s just been launched.