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Check where people expect a label before you freeze the menu.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Card sorting
Card sorting is an information-architecture study: people group real product labels in whatever way makes sense to them. The pattern shows how menus and names should be organized from the outside, instead of from the team guess.
Add the cards, choose an open, closed, or hybrid sort, and drag each card into a group. Save one round per participant, then read the agreement chart and export a suggested structure.
Study setup
In an open sort the participant names the groups. Use it when you are still discovering the labels.
Cards
Predefined groups
Sorting board
Saved rounds
Agreement report
Three checks before you lock the menu
A card sort does not replace an information-architecture decision. It shows the pattern across people.
- Write the label the way it appears in the product, not the team's internal name.
- One person, one round. Do not name the groups for them or edit the sort while they work.
- Rewrite a low-agreement label before the menu ships. High agreement means that label was clear for that group.
Cards and results stay on this device. Nothing is sent to Nova Lab servers.
Go deeper
Why you’ll love this
This free card sorting tool is for information architecture work. Group real menu labels in an open, closed, or hybrid sort, keep each participant as a round on this device, and see which names people agree on. Export CSV, JSON, a chart image, or a PDF for a workshop — no account.
How to jump in
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Turn real labels into cards
Use the words people see in the product, not the internal backlog name.
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Pick open, closed, or hybrid
Open sorts discover names. Closed sorts test a menu you already drafted. Hybrid lets someone add a group.
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Save one round per person
Drag cards or move them with the keyboard, then save the round so the next person starts clean.
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Read agreement before you ship the menu
Rewrite low-agreement labels and treat the repeated groups as the first draft of the structure.
What you walk away with
- Open, closed, and hybrid sorts in one study
- Agreement chart and a suggested structure
- Stored on your device only
- CSV, JSON, PNG, and print to PDF
Where it shines
Information architecture class
Open the two-person sample and discuss where the groupings split.
Naming reviews
When two teams argue about a section name, run a few rounds instead of a taste debate.
Input for a journey map
Once the content groups are clear, write the journey in the same language users used.
Quick answers
What is the difference between an open and a closed card sort?
In an open sort the participant creates and names the groups. In a closed sort they may only use the groups you defined. Hybrid starts from your groups and still allows a new one when nothing fits.
How many participants do I need?
Five to fifteen people from the same audience is a common range for a first pattern. This tool stores rounds locally. It does not recruit participants for you.
Is card sorting the same as a tree test?
No. A card sort asks how people group content. A tree test asks where they would find an item in a structure you already built. Sort first, then test the tree.
Where is the study stored?
In this browser only. Export JSON if you need a backup for class or a project.
Which Nova Lab tool should I open next?
Use the persona or empathy map if the user is still fuzzy. Use the journey map once the content groups are stable.