# Choose collections by how visitors inspect them

ID: cmp-collection-structure. Source: [S18](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/cards-component/).

Teach distinctions among scanning a known category, browsing varied objects, ranking options, and opening details. Select lists, grids, cards, indexes, or editorial groups accordingly. Cards are neither mandatory nor forbidden.

Application A: comparable services align names and scope in a compact index. Application B: varied projects use image-and-text groups appropriate to different evidence.

Counterexample: comparable attributes occupy unpredictable positions in decorative cards.

Mobile: retain scan order, item boundaries, and understandable link behavior; avoid nested competing links.

Storyboard: record the collection task, ordering, and equal or unequal emphasis. Review: find a specific item and compare relevant items. A novel arrangement earns no credit if it makes the task harder.

## Authority and use

This is an original design-teaching hypothesis. It is advisory and does not change factual, accessibility, or functional requirements. Adapt it to verified business evidence and inspect the current render before accepting an outcome. The applications above are contrasting examples, not copyable site presets.