Mastering Card Sorting with the Best AI Prompts for Optimal Results

By Philip Burgess | UX Research Leader

Card sorting is a powerful method for organizing information, improving user experience, and designing intuitive navigation systems. When I first started using card sorting in my projects, I found it challenging to create prompts that would guide participants effectively. That’s when I turned to AI for help. Using AI-generated prompts transformed how I approached card sorting, making the process smoother and more insightful.

In this post, I’ll share the best AI prompts for card sorting that I’ve discovered and used. These prompts help participants think clearly about how they group information, which leads to better results for designers, researchers, and product teams.

Best AI Prompts for Card Sorting

Best AI Prompts: Why Use AI Prompts for Card Sorting

Creating clear and effective prompts is key to successful card sorting. Poorly worded prompts can confuse participants or lead to inconsistent results. AI can generate prompts that are:

• Clear and concise: Avoiding jargon or ambiguity

• Tailored to your content: Reflecting the specific items or topics you want sorted

• Engaging: Encouraging thoughtful responses

  
  

By using AI, you can quickly produce multiple prompt variations and select the best ones for your study. This saves time and improves the quality of your card sorting sessions.

Examples of Effective AI Prompts for Card Sorting

Here are some AI-generated prompts that I have found particularly useful. You can adapt these to your own projects depending on the content and goals.

1. Grouping by Similar Purpose

"Please group these items based on how you would use them or what purpose they serve."

This prompt encourages participants to think about the function or role of each item. It works well when sorting features, products, or services.

2. Organizing by Topic or Theme

"Sort these cards into groups that share a common topic or theme."

This is a straightforward prompt that helps participants focus on content similarity. It’s useful for website navigation or content categorization.

3. Prioritizing by Importance

"Arrange these items into groups based on how important they are to you."

This prompt adds a layer of personal judgment, which can reveal user priorities and preferences.

4. Sorting by Frequency of Use

"Group these items according to how often you would use or access them."

This helps identify which items are most relevant or frequently needed, guiding design decisions.

5. Creating Categories That Make Sense to You

"Please create groups that make the most sense to you, and feel free to name each group."

This open-ended prompt allows participants to organize items in their own way, providing insights into natural mental models.

Tips for Using AI Prompts in Card Sorting

To get the most out of AI-generated prompts, keep these tips in mind:

• Test multiple prompts: Run a few different prompts with a small group to see which yields the clearest results.

• Be specific when needed: If your content is complex, add context or examples in the prompt.

• Encourage naming groups: Asking participants to name their groups can reveal how they think about the categories.

• Use simple language: Avoid technical terms unless your audience is familiar with them.

• Combine prompts: Sometimes mixing prompts (e.g., grouping by theme and then by importance) can provide deeper insights.

  
  

Organized card groups from a card sorting exercise

How AI Can Help You Create Custom Prompts

AI tools can generate prompts tailored to your specific content. For example, if you are sorting features of a mobile app, you can input a list of features into an AI prompt generator and ask it to create sorting instructions. The AI can produce variations like:

• "Group these app features based on how you would use them during your daily routine."

• "Sort these features into categories that help you find what you need quickly."

• "Organize these features by how important they are to your experience."

  
  

This customization ensures your prompts are relevant and easy to understand.

My Experience Using AI Prompts for Card Sorting

When I first integrated AI into my card sorting process, I noticed a significant improvement in participant engagement. The prompts were clearer, and participants provided more consistent groupings. This made analyzing the results easier and more reliable.

One project involved redesigning a website’s navigation. Using AI-generated prompts, I asked users to group content by theme and then by importance. The insights helped create a navigation structure that matched users’ mental models, reducing confusion and improving usability.

Final Thoughts on AI Prompts for Card Sorting

Using AI to create prompts for card sorting can save time and improve the quality of your research. The best prompts are clear, relevant, and encourage participants to think about the content in meaningful ways. By experimenting with different AI-generated prompts, you can find the ones that work best for your project.