Plain Language Analysis
U.S. Department of Transportation
Plain Language Analysis
U.S. Department of Transportation
Card Sort Report
Denton Parks and Recreation
Timeline
2 weeks
Tools
Skills
xSort, MS Excel
Information architecture, Usability testing, Moderated card sort, Dendrograms, Correlation matrix
CONTEXT
About the Project
I conducted a card sort test to improve labeling, grouping, and organization of Denton's Parks and Recreation website. City websites too often divide content by department because that is how information is divided within the organization. But most users don’t come to a city’s website knowing which department is responsible for the information they are looking for.
THE PROBLEM
Reason for Testing
My initial impression of the main navigation of the Parks and Rec department was that the labels were vague. Also, as I began to explore the site more, I found related information in different groups that wasn’t linked to each other. For example, a button labeled “Register Online” appears in the main navigation, but on a content page detailing gym membership, there was no apparent link to register for a membership.
METHOD
Card Sort Sessions
Six participants were asked to sort 26 topics from the Parks and Rec website into groups that made sense to them. At the end of each session, the participants were asked to label the groups they created.
I asked three of the participants to sort physical cards and to “think out loud” so that their words and actions could be recorded and reviewed.
The other three participants were asked to sort digital cards on software called xSort, but they were not asked to “think out loud.”
ANALYSIS
Correlation Matrix
I created a correlation matrix for the moderated, physical card sorts to compare how many participants agreed on a pairing of cards.
Dendrogram
Using the dendrogram generated from the card sorting sessions with xSort, I analyzed how often the participants grouped cards.
TAKEAWAYS
Key Findings
Participants were surprised and confused to find 'Cemeteries' in a stack of cards that were primarily about parks and kid-friendly activities.​
1.
​​“I feel like ‘Cemeteries’ doesn’t belong with any of these topics.”​​
2.
Participants were not familiar enough with 'Clear Creek' to know that it is both an education center and a park with several hiking trails.
3.
The phrase ‘Register Online’ was not specific enough for participants to understand that they could register for programs as well as reserve facilities.
“’Register’ makes me think I’m registering for an account on here.”
“Am I supposed to register for a program?”
4.
Participants do not know what the Parks and Rec department considers “projects.” They identified projects as programs or services.
“’Project Updates’ to me is vague because projects could happen at places other than parks but I'm not sure.”
5.
Participants’ card sorts suggest moving topics currently in a group labeled 'Projects and Initiatives' to other groups.