To make the most of working with this tool the following materials should be at hand:

• Papers or computer to document the thought process
• Pencils, markers, post-its, colour stickers to write and visually code information
• Content to be analysed and make sense of, including articles, papers, books, notes from meetings, notes from research studies, etc.
• Papers or whiteboards to draw and sketch emerging ideas

The cards can be used in many ways according to designers’ working habits. First users should get familiar with the cards first and use them in the given order. Then read and get familiar with the content of the project.

1. Analyse & Organise

Use MapCI Cards to analyse, organise and make sense of content while considering the requirements of the project.

2. Think & Respond

Read and respond to each MapCI Card according to the action and specifications indicated in each card. Responses to each card may be extracted from or determined by:

• The pieces of content
• Designers’ own expertise and familiarity with the project
• Additional content that needs to be requested/searched for later

3. Write & Document

Document each step of the analysis process by making notes, writing down answers, highlighting key paragraphs or pinpointing documents from where relevant information was identified or extracted, or colour coding information according to the set of cards they relate to.

4. Visualise & Create 

Use the information obtained from this analysis to organise ideas, and create a way to represent and define a skeletal structure of a potential diagrammatic solution.

To complete the above steps, the cards can be used to guide the analysis and organisation of content or to verify the analysis of content.

Working individually

This tool can help information designers working alone on projects demanding specific subject knowledge (e.g., science, medicine, healthcare). Use the cards to guide the analysis and organisation of the content, the definition of information hierarchies and identification of key areas that may require further clarification from an experts in the subject.

Working in a team

This tool can help information designers working with a team on projects demanding specific subject knowledge (e.g., science, medicine, healthcare). Use the cards to highlight basic, but fundamental points that need to be addressed during the analysis of content, organise tasks among team members, and provide clear focus to the analysis.

Information designers will facilitate the analysis using the cards, and the knowledge experts will provide the information requested by the cards, in particular, Content Cards.