Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M8119

Card Sorting

Card Sorting
StructureHigh supportLogic
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Card sorting is a knowledge elicitation technique that involves participants sorting items according to some given criteria. This is done to determine how participants categorize items in a given domain and to identify similarities and differences between groups of participants.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Card sorting is a knowledge elicitation technique that involves participants sorting items according to some given criteria. This is done to determine how participants categorize items in a given domain and to identify similarities and differences between groups of participants.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Users sort and name information cards according to their own mental models, revealing the true information organization structure rather than relying on designers' assumptions, thereby aligning information architecture with user cognition.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_sortingZH · Explicit
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