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Card Sorting

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Card sorting is a user research method for uncovering how people assimilate and classify information to develop an effective information architecture and sitemap. The Card sorting technique originates in cognitive psychology techniques. One of most significant of the methods is known as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), which was introduced in 1946. The WCST is quick and easy to administer, requiring no specialized equipment but the deck of cards itself and a book to compare scores. It’s used to determine competence with abstract reasoning and ability to change problem solving strategies when needed. The card sort technique is very useful to various applications, websites with numerous categories such as educational institutions, online news agencies, e-commerce, etc.

It is a simple and straightforward process where your participants / customers sort items into a classification. The card sorting method is used to generate information about the associations and grouping of specific data items. It can be used to label and group information in a website in a way that makes sense to the audience. To do a card sort, you can use cards, pieces of paper, or an online card sorting tool.

Participants in a card sort are asked to organize individual, unsorted items into groups and may, depending on the technique, also provide labels for these groups. Sorting and grouping have long been studied within psychology and the research dates back at least to the 1950s. In a user-centered design process, it is commonly used when developing site architecture but has also been applied to developing workflows, menus, toolbars, and other elements of system design.

What are the main types of card sort?

There are 3 main types of card sorting:

  • Open card sorting
  • Closed card sorting
  • Reverse card sorting (more popularly called tree testing), or Hybrid card sorting

Choosing the right method type at the right time is essential to gather high quality, relevant information for your design decisions. These serve different purposes depending on what you want to find out. This then gives you insights into the nomenclature your target group uses.

  • Card sorting may be conducted as a low tech method using index cards or post-it notes, or may be automated using one of several software packages
  • Card sorting may be conducted as a series of individual exercises, as a concurrent activity of a small group, or as a hybrid approach where individual activity is followed by group discussion of individual differences
  • Card sorting is usually conducted as a specific activity in the early design phase of a project for defining an architecture, but can similarly be used during a product evaluation to determine if usability issues are due to problems with grouping or group labels

The Sun Microsystems’ 1995 Web site redesign effort included at least 15 different designs for the home page. Usability testing and iterative design were used to optimize the layout and content to match user needs. Jakob Nielsen

 Open card sorting

Open card sorting is similar to an open-ended question, meaning you are asking your participants about their full understanding of the items. In an open card sort, participants create their own names for the categories. Open card sorting can also be used for categorising blog content, grouping products in an e-commerce store or in structuring your help center topics and articles. This helps reveal not only how they mentally classify the cards, but also what terms they use for the categories. Open sorting is generative; it is typically used to discover patterns in how participants classify, which in turn helps generate ideas for organizing information. Open card sorting allows you to find out expectations about the different classifications in your site whilst giving you awareness into the labels or names your participants / customers use.

Closed card sorting

In a closed card sort you want to find out what the participants think of the information in your conceptual framework. In a closed card sort, participants are provided with a predetermined set of category names. They then assign the index cards to these fixed categories. Closed card sorting is more evaluative as your participants evaluate the information and put them in the labels or categories that you provide. It is a good way of testing an established structure.

Reverse card sorting (also called inverse card sorting, reverse lookup, tree testing, hybrid card sorting)

In a reverse card sort, an existing structure of categories and sub-categories is tested. Users are given tasks and are asked to complete them navigating a collection of cards. Each card contains the names of subcategories related to a category, and the user should find the card most relevant to the given task starting from the main card with the top-level categories. This ensures that the structure is evaluated in isolation, nullifying the effects of navigational aids, visual design, and other factors. Reverse card sorting is evaluative—it judges whether a predetermined hierarchy provides a good way to find information.

When to use card sorting

You can use card sorting when you are designing a new application or website or when you are updating an existing one.

It can be also be utilised to find out how your audience expect the information in the website to be grouped and classified.

You get to see how your customers rank or arrange items based on a set of criteria; and understand as well as compare how people conceptualise different ideas and items.

Summary

This is a method for discovering the latent structure in an unsorted list of statements or ideas. The investigator writes each statement on a small index card and requests six or more informants to sort these cards into groups or clusters, working on their own. The results of the individual sorts are then combined and if necessary analysed statistically.

Benefits

If the informants are representative of the user population for whom the application is being designed, then the result will reflect the structure in which the users expect the ideas or concepts should be presented.

Method

Planning

Collect the statements you wish to analyse. Write each statement on a separate card. If your statements already exist in computer format, print them out on labels and stick the labels on index cards.

Running

Shuffle the card deck so that all the informants don’t get the same sequence of cards or worse, that each informant gets the previous informant’s sequence. The informants receive the stack of cards, and then sort them into piles on the table in front of them, using place mats if desired. You may give a rough indication of the number of piles of cards you will expect to see, to give the informants a common understanding of the expected grain of analysis.

Explain that there may well be an ‘unsortable’ pile, but that they should attempt to place as many cards together into piles as they reasonably can.

Analysis

If your clusters are relatively clear and straightforward, you may simply summarise the cards which are usually placed in each pile and give an overall name for the cluster. However, the result of card sorting is not always so straightforward.

The most common method of analysis for complex data from card sorting is a statistical method called cluster analysis. There are two main approaches to cluster analysis for this kind of material: linkage and hierarchical.

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Designer | Ideator | Thinker | Love Reading, Writing | Wildlife | Passionate about Learning New Stuff & Technologies. Feel free to comment below. Keep on visiting the blog for new articles. For suggestions and questions if you have any, then you can visit this link. (Disclaimer : My views are entirely my own and have nothing to do with any organisation)

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Design

Haptic technology its potential to enhance user experience

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Haptic technology refers to technology that provides tactile feedback to users, allowing them to interact with digital devices and environments in a more immersive and intuitive way. Haptic technology is based on the sense of touch and uses vibration, pressure, or other physical stimuli to convey information and sensations to the user. This can range from simple vibrations in response to touch input on a smartphone screen to complex, multidimensional haptic feedback in virtual reality or gaming applications. 

The goal of haptic technology is to create a more natural and intuitive interaction between people and technology, allowing users to “feel” the digital world in a way that mimics the physical world. Haptic technology is used in a variety of devices and applications, including smartphones, game controllers, wearable devices, and medical devices, among others. In virtual reality and augmented reality applications, haptic technology can be used to simulate the feeling of touching virtual objects and environments, making the experience more immersive and believable. 

Here's What the Future of Haptic Technology Looks (Or Rather, Feels) Like | Innovation| Smithsonian Magazine

Haptic technology is still an emerging field, and there is ongoing research and development aimed at improving the accuracy, versatility, and durability of haptic devices. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that haptic technology will become increasingly integrated into a wide range of devices and applications. 

Haptic technology has the potential to significantly impact various industries and immersive experiences. Some of the ways in which haptic technology is being used or has the potential to be used include: 

  • Gaming and Virtual Reality: Haptic technology can enhance the realism of gaming and virtual reality experiences by allowing players to feel the impact of explosions, collisions, and other events in real-time. 
  • Smartphones and Wearables: Haptic technology is commonly used in smartphones and wearables to provide tactile feedback for touch inputs, such as tapping or scrolling. This enhances the overall user experience and makes it easier for people to use these devices. 
  • Healthcare: Haptic technology is being used in the healthcare industry for rehabilitation and prosthetics, allowing patients to experience touch sensations in a controlled and precise manner. 
  • Automotive: Haptic technology is being used in the automotive industry to enhance the driving experience. For example, haptic feedback can be used to alert drivers to safety warnings, such as lane departure warnings, or to provide a more immersive experience when using in-car entertainment systems. 
  • Manufacturing: Haptic technology is being used in the manufacturing industry to provide workers with information and feedback in real-time, allowing them to work more efficiently and safely. 

The use of haptic technology has the potential to greatly enhance the user experience in a wide range of industries and immersive experiences, making interactions with digital devices and environments more intuitive, engaging, and realistic. 

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Design

Trends of UX 2023

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User experience (UX) is a rapidly evolving field that is constantly influenced by new technologies and trends. As we move into 2023, there are a number of key trends that are expected to shape the field of UX. The field of user experience (UX) is constantly evolving, and new trends and technologies are emerging all the time. Here are a few trends that are expected to be prevalent in 2023: 

  • Emphasis on Empathy: With the increasing awareness of mental health and well-being, there is a growing emphasis on designing products and services that take into account the emotional needs of users. This includes designing for empathy, which involves understanding and addressing the emotional needs of users. This is achieved by conducting user research and testing, using tools like user interviews and surveys, and observing users’ behavior and emotions as they interact with a product or service. 
  • Human-centered design: The shift in focus towards human-centered design, which puts users at the center of the design process, will continue to be a prominent trend in 2023. This approach puts users at the center of the design process, and allows designers to create products and services that better meet the needs and goals of users. Human-centered design is achieved by conducting user research, testing, and validation to understand users’ needs, goals and pain points, and using this information to design the product or service. This approach allows designers to create products and services that better meet the needs and goals of users. 
  • Voice-based interfaces: With the increasing popularity of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home, voice-based interfaces are becoming an increasingly important aspect of UX. Voice-based interfaces are also expected to become increasingly important in 2023. Voice-based interfaces are expected to be used in more products and services as a means of interaction, and designers will need to consider how to design voice-based interfaces that are intuitive, easy-to-use, and accessible to all users. 
  • Personalization and customization: With the rise of big data and artificial intelligence, it’s becoming increasingly possible to personalize and customize products and services to meet the needs of individual users. In 2023, we can expect to see more products and services that are tailored to the unique needs and preferences of users. With the rise of big data and artificial intelligence, it’s becoming increasingly possible to personalize and customize products and services to meet the needs of individual users. Designers will need to consider how to use data and AI to create personalized experiences that meet the unique needs and preferences of users. 
  • Micro-interactions: Micro-interactions, such as subtle animations and sound effects, are becoming increasingly important in creating a more engaging and satisfying user experience. In 2023, we can expect to see more products and services incorporating micro-interactions to enhance the overall user experience. Micro-interactions, such as subtle animations and sound effects, are also becoming increasingly important in creating a more engaging and satisfying user experience. In 2023, designers will need to consider how to use micro-interactions to enhance the overall user experience. 
  • Privacy and security: Finally, privacy and security are becoming increasingly important as users become more concerned about how their personal information is being used and protected. With the increasing concern about data privacy and security, it’s becoming increasingly important for designers to consider how products and services protect the personal information of users and how to communicate this to users in a clear and transparent way.  

The field of UX is constantly evolving and designers need to keep abreast of the latest trends and technologies to create products and services that meet the needs and goals of users. By understanding and addressing the emotional needs of users, and by using human-centered design, voice-based interfaces, personalization, micro-interactions and privacy and security, designers can create products and services that provide a positive and efficient user.

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Technology

Driving the development of NLP

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Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence (AI) that is having a significant impact on various industries, including healthcare, technology, and lifestyle and there are some key technologies and techniques that are driving the development of NLP and are being applied in real-world applications. 

One of the key technologies driving the development of NLP is deep learning. Deep learning algorithms, such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and transformer models, are being used to improve the accuracy and efficiency of NLP tasks, such as language translation, sentiment analysis, and text summarization. For example, RNNs and transformer models can be used to analyze large amounts of text data and identify patterns and trends that can assist in diagnoses and treatment planning in healthcare. Additionally, transformer models such as BERT and GPT-3 are used to improve the performance of virtual assistants and customer service chatbots. 

Another important technology driving the development of NLP is the use of large-scale pre-trained models. Pre-trained models, such as BERT, GPT-3, and T5, have been trained on large amounts of text data and can be fine-tuned for specific NLP tasks, such as question answering and text classification. These pre-trained models have significantly improved the performance of NLP tasks and have made it easier for developers to build and deploy NLP applications. Deep learning and pre-trained models, other key technologies and techniques that are driving the development of NLP include:

  • Named Entity Recognition (NER): used to identify and classify named entities, such as people, organizations, and locations, in text data. 
  • Part-of-Speech Tagging (POS): used to identify and classify the parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives, in text data. 
  • Sentiment Analysis: used to determine the emotional tone of text data, such as whether a piece of text is positive, negative, or neutral. 
  • Text Summarization: used to generate a condensed version of text data, such as a summary of a news article or a summary of customer feedback. 

As the field of NLP continues to evolve, it will likely play an increasingly important role in shaping the way we live, work, and interact with technology. NLP is a rapidly growing field of AI that is having a significant impact on various industries, including healthcare, technology, and lifestyle. Key technologies and techniques, such as deep learning, pre-trained models, and NER, POS and Sentiment Analysis are driving the development of NLP and are being applied in real-world applications to improve efficiency, accuracy, and communication.

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