方法对比

	Card Sorting	情境探究 (Contextual Inquiry)
领域	人机交互	人机交互
方法族	Hypothesis test	Hypothesis test
起源年份	1990s	1993
提出者	Information Architecture Practitioners	Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt
类型	Participatory technique for validating or designing information structures	In-situ user research method capturing real work practices
开创性文献	Spencer, D. (2009). Card Sorting: Designing Usable Categories. Rosenfeld Media. ISBN: 1-933820-36-5	Beyer, H., & Holtzblatt, K. (1998). Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 1-558-60722-X
别名	Card Sort, Open Card Sorting, Closed Card Sorting	CI, Contextual Design, Work-centered Design
相关	4	4
摘要	Card Sorting is a participatory design technique where users organize content items (represented on cards) into logical groups and categories. Used primarily for information architecture design, card sorting reveals how users naturally think about and categorize content, providing empirical data for navigation hierarchies, menu structures, and taxonomy design. The method exists in open form (users create their own categories) and closed form (users organize cards into predefined categories), each revealing different insights about user mental models and organization preferences.	Contextual Inquiry is a field research method for understanding users by observing and interviewing them in their real work environment. Developed by Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt at Applied Research and Technology, this method combines ethnographic observation with targeted questioning to capture not just what users say they do, but what they actually do—including workarounds, informal practices, and priorities often invisible in lab settings. Contextual Inquiry uncovers the context, constraints, and real-world complexity of user tasks, providing rich insights for user-centered design.