Open vs Closed Card Sorting: Complete Guide
Choosing between open and closed card sorting is one of the first decisions you'll make in your research. Here's how to decide.
Quick Definition
Open Card Sorting: Participants create their own category names.
Closed Card Sorting: Participants sort items into predefined categories.
When to Use Open Card Sorting
✅ Discovering how users naturally group information ✅ Creating a new information architecture from scratch ✅ Understanding user mental models ✅ Early-stage product development
Example: Designing navigation for a new e-commerce website - let users tell you what categories make sense.
When to Use Closed Card Sorting
✅ Validating existing categories ✅ Comparing two navigation structures ✅ Testing specific category labels ✅ Refining an existing architecture
Example: You have two proposed navigation structures - test which one users understand better.
Pros & Cons
Open Card Sorting
Pros:
- Unbiased insights into user thinking
- Discover unexpected groupings
- Identify natural category names
Cons:
- Takes longer to complete
- Harder to analyze (many unique categories)
- May produce inconsistent results
Closed Card Sorting
Pros:
- Faster for participants
- Easier to analyze statistically
- Direct validation of hypotheses
Cons:
- Doesn't reveal new category ideas
- Limited by researcher's assumptions
- May miss better alternatives
Hybrid Approach
Consider hybrid card sorting for the best of both worlds:
- Provide suggested categories
- Allow participants to create new ones
- Balance structure with flexibility
Free Card Sort supports all three methods!
Our Recommendation
- Start with open card sorting to discover natural groupings
- Follow up with closed to validate top structures
- Use hybrid when you have good ideas but want to stay open to better options
Run your first study at freecardsort.com