← Back to Glossary
All Glossary Terms
Search a complete A-Z reference of digital product, UX/UI, interface, accessibility, and front-end development terms.
A
- A/B Testing Product Design & Strategy A/B testing compares two versions of a product or feature to see which performs better. Template, checklist, and...
- Accessibility Accessibility & Inclusive Design Accessibility (a11y) means designing so everyone can use your product. Checklist, common pitfalls, and how it fits with...
- Accessible Colour Contrast Accessibility & Inclusive Design Accessible colour contrast is the minimum difference between text (or UI) and background so content is readable. WCAG...
- Affordance in UI Design: Meaning and Examples Foundational Concepts Learn what affordance means in UI design, see common examples, and use a practical checklist to spot controls that look...
- Agile Design Process Design Processes & Methods Agile design applies agile principles to design work: iterative cycles, collaboration, and continuous feedback. How it...
- Alignment UI/Visual Design Principles Alignment is lining up elements on a common edge or axis. It creates order, consistency, and clearer hierarchy. How to...
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Front-End Development ARIA is a set of attributes that expose roles, states, and properties to assistive technologies. When to use it, when to...
- ARIA Roles Accessibility & Inclusive Design ARIA roles tell assistive technologies what an element is or does when HTML semantics aren’t enough. When to use them...
- Aspect Ratio UI/Visual Design Principles Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between width and height of an element. Template and checklist for using...
- Atomic Design Design Processes & Methods Atomic design is a method for building design systems from small components (atoms) up to full pages. The five levels...
C
- Card Sorting UX Concepts & Practices Card sorting is a research method where participants group content into categories. Use it to design or test information...
- Color Palette UI/Visual Design Principles A colour palette is a defined set of colours used consistently across the product. How to define it, use it with design...
- Component Libraries Front-End Development A component library is a set of reusable, coded UI components (buttons, forms, etc.) that implement your design system....
- Continuous Discovery Product Design & Strategy Continuous discovery is the habit of regularly learning from users to inform product decisions. Cadence, ownership, and...
- Contrast UI/Visual Design Principles Contrast is the difference between elements so they are distinguishable. Use it for hierarchy, readability, and...
- Cross-Functional Collaboration Design Processes & Methods Cross-functional collaboration is product, design, and engineering working together through the process instead of...
D
- Decision Records Product Design & Strategy Decision records document important decisions: context, options, and rationale. Use them for design, product, or...
- Design Design Processes & Methods Design is the intentional process of solving problems and shaping solutions that are useful, usable, and meaningful for...
- Design Brief Product Design & Strategy A design brief is the shared specification that Design, Engineering, and Stakeholders align on before work starts....
- Design Review Framework Design Processes & Methods A design review framework is a structured checklist for critiquing UI screens against consistency, clarity,...
- Design Sprint Design Processes & Methods A design sprint compresses design thinking into one week — understand, sketch, prototype, test. The conditions that make...
- Design Standards Product Design & Strategy Design standards are documented guidelines and principles that ensure consistency and quality across design work. How...
- Design Systems Product Design & Strategy A design system is a set of reusable components, tokens, and guidelines for consistent product design. What to include,...
- Design Thinking Design Processes & Methods Design thinking is a human-centred process for solving problems through empathy, ideation, and iteration. Five phases,...
E
- Empathy Map Template: Says, Thinks, Feels, Does UX Concepts & Practices Free empathy map template & workshop guide. Build team alignment in 30 minutes. Copy/paste the Says/Thinks/Feels/Does...
- Empathy Mapping Design Processes & Methods Empathy mapping is the workshop activity of filling an empathy map with your team. Says, thinks, feels, does. When to...
- Ethical Design Foundational Concepts Ethical design is the practice of considering the impact of design on people and society: fairness, transparency,...
- Experimentation Product Design & Strategy Experimentation is testing hypotheses with real users or data to inform product decisions. When to use it, how it fits...
- Experimentation Patterns Product Design & Strategy Experimentation patterns are systematic ways to test hypotheses about user behaviour and product changes with data....
F
- Feature Prioritisation Product Design & Strategy Feature prioritisation is how you decide what to build first. MoSCoW, RICE, value vs effort, and when to use each....
- Feedback Loop Design Processes & Methods A feedback loop is the cycle of gathering input, analysing it, making changes, and checking the result. Template and how...
- Focus Management Accessibility & Inclusive Design Focus management controls where keyboard focus goes when users open or close modals, menus, or dynamic content....
- Future of Design Systems Product Design & Strategy The future of design systems looks at how they’re evolving: more dynamic, automated, and integrated with AI and...
H
- Heuristic Evaluation UX Concepts & Practices Heuristic evaluation is an expert review of an interface against usability principles. Nielsen’s heuristics, checklist,...
- Hierarchy UI/Visual Design Principles Hierarchy is the visual ordering of elements by importance so users see what matters first. How to create it with size,...
- Human-Centred Design (HCD) Design Processes & Methods Human-centred design puts people at the centre of problem-solving: understand their context and needs, then design with...
I
- Information Architecture (IA) UX Concepts & Practices Information architecture is the practice of organising and labelling content so users can find and use it. Components,...
- Interaction Design (IxD) UX Concepts & Practices Interaction design is the practice of designing how users interact with a product: behaviour, feedback, and flow....
- Interaction Patterns Interface Design & Development Interaction patterns are reusable solutions for how users interact with the UI: input, feedback, and navigation....
- Interface Patterns UX Concepts & Practices Interface patterns are reusable solutions to common UI problems that help teams build consistent, usable, and accessible...
- Iterative Design Foundational Concepts Iterative design is a cycle of prototype, test, learn, and refine. It’s the core loop of user-centred product work. When...
L
- Lean Canvas Product Design & Strategy A one-page business model template for testing product assumptions. Fill order, checklist, and how it fits with problem...
- Lean UX Design Processes & Methods Lean UX focuses on reducing waste and validating assumptions early through hypotheses, experiments, and cross-functional...
M
- Microcopy Interface Design & Development Microcopy is the short, functional text in the UI: buttons, labels, errors, and hints. Principles, checklist, and how it...
- Microinteractions UI/Visual Design Principles Microinteractions are small, focused moments that give feedback, show state, or add clarity when users interact with the...
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Foundational Concepts An MVP is the smallest version of a product that delivers value and lets you learn. Template, checklist, and how it...
- Mobile-First Design Front-End Development Mobile-first design starts with the smallest screen and essential content, then progressively enhances for larger...
- Motion Design Interface Design & Development Motion design uses animation and transition to improve UX: feedback, orientation, and clarity. Checklist and when to use...
P
- Persona UX Concepts & Practices A persona is a research-based character that represents a user type. Template, checklist, and how it differs from job...
- Problem Statement Product Design & Strategy A problem statement defines the user, the situation, what's blocking them, and why it matters, without prescribing the...
- Product Manager Product Design & Strategy A Product Manager defines product strategy, prioritises work, and coordinates teams to deliver products that meet user...
- Product Roadmap Product Design & Strategy A product roadmap shows the direction and priorities for the product over time. Themes vs features, how to keep it...
- Product Strategy Product Design & Strategy Product strategy is the high-level plan for what the product will become and why. Vision, goals, and how it fits with...
- Product Thinking Product Design & Strategy Product thinking is a mindset that focuses on product value, real problems, and business alignment. Template and...
- Prototype UX Concepts & Practices A prototype is a working model you use to test ideas before building the real product. Fidelity levels, checklist, and...
- Prototyping UX Concepts & Practices Prototyping is the process of building interactive models to test ideas before development. Fidelity levels, when to use...
Q
- QA Guardrails Product Design & Strategy QA guardrails are automated and manual checks that stop defects reaching users by catching issues early in the pipeline....
- QA Processes Design Processes & Methods QA processes are systematic ways to test and validate interfaces so they meet requirements, accessibility, and quality...
S
- Scalability UI/Visual Design Principles Scalability in design is the ability of elements and systems to adapt across sizes, resolutions, and contexts while...
- Scalability in Design UI/Visual Design Principles Scalability in design is building systems and interfaces that stay consistent and effective as products, teams, and...
- Screen Reader Compatibility: Meaning & Testing Checklist Accessibility & Inclusive Design Screen reader compatibility means your UI works with assistive tech. Learn what to test: labels, headings, focus, ARIA,...
- Storyboard Design Processes & Methods A storyboard is a sequence of frames that show key moments in a user's experience. Use it to communicate context, flow,...
- Success Metrics Product Design & Strategy Success metrics are observable outcomes that tell you whether a design or feature change actually worked. Template,...
T
- Tab Order Accessibility & Inclusive Design Tab order is the sequence in which focus moves when users press Tab. It should match visual and logical order for...
- Telemetry Product Design & Strategy Telemetry is the collection and use of product data (usage, performance, errors) to inform decisions. What to collect,...
- Touchpoints UX Concepts & Practices Touchpoints are every moment a user interacts with your product, brand, or service. Map them to improve the journey and...
- Typography UI/Visual Design Principles Typography is the choice and arrangement of type for readability and hierarchy. Type scale, contrast, and how it fits...
U
- UI Design UI/Visual Design Principles UI design is the design of the visual and interactive surface of a product: layout, typography, colour, and components....
- Usability Foundational Concepts Usability is how easily users can complete tasks with your product. Learnability, efficiency, errors, and satisfaction....
- Usability Testing UX Concepts & Practices Usability testing observes real users completing tasks with your product or prototype. Checklist, when to use it, and...
- User Flow Diagrams: When to Create and What to Include UX Concepts & Practices When to map user flows, what to include at each decision point, and how to avoid the mistakes that make flow diagrams...
- User Journey UX Concepts & Practices A user journey maps the end-to-end experience a user has over time: steps, touchpoints, and emotions. Template, when to...
- User Research UX Concepts & Practices User research is the systematic study of users' needs, behaviour, and context to inform product decisions. Methods,...
- User Stories Product Design & Strategy A user story captures what a user needs to accomplish in a single feature or interaction, in the format "As a [user], I...
- User-Centred Design Design Processes & Methods User-centred design (UCD) puts users at the centre of the process: research, define, design, test, and iterate with real...
- UX Design UX Concepts & Practices UX design is the process of designing products so they are useful, usable, and meaningful for users. Research,...
W
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) Accessibility & Inclusive Design WCAG is the international standard for web accessibility. POUR principles, conformance levels (A, AA, AAA), and a...
- White Space Foundational Concepts White space (negative space) is the empty area between elements. It improves readability, hierarchy, and focus. How to...
- Wireframe Foundational Concepts A wireframe is a low-fidelity layout that shows structure and placement of content and UI without visual design....
- Wireframing UX Concepts & Practices Wireframing is the process of creating low-fidelity layouts that show structure and hierarchy. When to use it,...
No terms found matching your search query.
What makes good digital products work.
A weekly read on the decisions, details, and trade-offs behind better product work.