Card sorting
Before you start prototyping it is essential to have some idea of what the content for the website should be. Maybe you have an outline in your head already, which is a good start.
Card sorting is a very effective way of structuring and verifying your content. And a way to make sure that your content is grouped the right way so your users can find what they are looking for at your website.
Card sorting can also be used in cases of redesigning websites, where new content groups are planned or a test has shown that the users can't easily find what they need.
How to card sort:
- Grap some post-its
- Write down the content areas that you have in your head. Don't worry about if it is the right label you give the topics at first. You can always refine later
- Orgainise your groups so you dont have more than 5-7 top level items (This could be the outline for your future top menu, you know :)) Make sublevels of the toplevels with the remaining topics
- Move things around untill you feel it seems logical.
- Important! You are not the user and are already biased. Try really hard now to come up with the 3 most common needs you think the user of this website would have. Could those needs easily be fufilled with the way you have structured and layed out the content? If not, then reorganize.
When you are happy with your structure, take a picture of it with your phone or write it down in a Word-doc or use the tool you are most comfortable with using. As long as you keep it somewhere where you can find it and where the nice organisation you made, dont gets lost over time. (post-its are not good for storing!!)
