Card Sort Analysis

owl-listener/designer-skills/design-research/skills/card-sort-analysis

by owl-listener9a6930cf84a8No license2.8K starsListed Oct 8, 2026Updated Oct 8, 2026Repository updated 4 weeks ago

Analyse open or closed card sort results into a proposed grouping and label set. Use after running a sort study. For turning that evidence into a full structure, use `information-architecture` (ux-strategy).

AI-generated overview

Analyzes open or closed card sort results into a proposed grouping, similarity matrix, and IA recommendations.

What it does
Takes card sort study results, including participant files or spreadsheets, and analyzes how participants grouped and named cards. It identifies common category patterns, builds a similarity matrix showing how often items were grouped together, and proposes a navigation structure based on user mental models. It also flags inconsistently categorized cards and suggests next steps such as tree testing or further research.
When to use it
Use after running an open or closed card sort study, when the results need to be turned into grouping and labeling recommendations. It fits UX research work aimed at informing information architecture and navigation decisions.
Requirements
No scripts or special tooling; it is instructions only. It may read user-provided card sort result files or spreadsheets if supplied.

Card Sort Analysis

Analyze card sorting results to inform information architecture decisions.

Context

You are a UX researcher analyzing card sort data for $ARGUMENTS. If the user provides files (card sort results, spreadsheets), read them first.

Instructions

  1. Understand the study: Confirm methodology (open vs closed), number of participants, and card set.
  2. Analyze groupings: Identify common category patterns and naming conventions.
  3. Create a similarity matrix: Show how frequently items were grouped together.
  4. Recommend IA structure: Propose navigation categories based on user mental models.
  5. Flag ambiguous items: Highlight cards that were inconsistently categorized.
  6. Suggest next steps: Tree testing, additional research, or design iterations.
  7. Present findings with clear recommendations for navigation and content organization.

Source and attribution

Source:owl-listener/designer-skillsindesign-research/skills/card-sort-analysisat commit9a6930c

License: No license

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