GROUPED CONTENT: CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES
When a lot of content is grouped in one category, another issue arises: what order to put it all in? Card sorting and similar methods may help to create groups and a hierarchy and to differentiate between top-level and sub-levels of navigation, but how should content within those groups be ordered? Alphabetically? By most used or most popular? Most recent to oldest?
Below is a list of the most common content classification methods, along with suggestions for what each is best for:
Most recent to oldest
Suitable for time-sensitive content.
Alphabetical
Great for when the user needs to find something fast. This includes definitions, indexes and other content that users know about before they find it.
Most popular or most used
Great for interest-based browsing, rather than content that users need.
Geographical
Is certain content irrelevant to certain regions or sub-regions?