Speak UX fluently.
UX lexicon is your essential guide
to industry jargon

A

6 cards

A/B Testing

/eɪ biː ˈtɛstɪŋ/

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Comparing two versions of a design or web page to see which one performs better.

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Accessibility

/ækˌsɛsəˈbɪlɪti/

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Designing products to be usable by people with the widest range possible of abilities, within the widest range possible of situations.

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Accent

/ˈæksənt/

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Referring to color, typography, or other design elements used to draw attention to particular parts of a design.

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Affordance

/əˈfɔːrdəns/

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Characteristics of an object that hint at how it should be used intuitively.

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Alignment

/əˈlaɪnmənt/

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Basic design principle that dictates how elements should be lined up to create clean, efficient, and visually appealing designs.

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Auto Layout

/ˈɔːtoʊˈleɪaʊt/

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A feature in design programs (e.g., Figma) that automatically resizes and/or arranges elements according to defined rules.

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B

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Bootstrap

/ˈboʊtˌstræp/

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One of the most popular HTML, CSS and JS frameworks for developing responsive web pages and apps.

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Button

/ˈbʌtn/

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Interactive design element that guides users towards a particular interaction or command.

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C

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Canva

/ˈkænvə/

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Design element that prompts a user to take a specific action.

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Call to action

/kɔːl tuː ækʃən/

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Design element that prompts a user to take a specific action.

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ChatGPT prompts

/ˈtʃæt.dʒiː.pɪ.tiː prɒmpts/

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Design element that prompts a user to take a specific action.

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CMYK

/siːɛmwaɪkeɪ/

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Short for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), a color model used in color printing.

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Cognitive load

/ˈkɒgnɪtɪv loʊd/

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Amount of mental processing power needed to use a product.

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Component

/kəmˈpoʊnənt/

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Stand-alone elements of a design that can be reused across multiple pages or screens.

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Composition

/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/

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Arrangement of visual elements in a design.

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Competetive analysis

/kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv əˈnalɪsɪs/

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Analysis of competitors that helps designers understand industry standards and identify opportunities for the product to stand out.

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Concept

/ˈkɒnsɛpt/

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General idea or understanding of something, often serves as the backbone of the product's design.

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Customer Experience

/ˈkʌstəmər ɪkˈspɪəriəns/

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The entirety of interactions a customer has with a company.

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Customer Journey

/ˈkʌstəmər ˈdʒɜːrni/

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Narrative of a user's experience with a product, from initial contact to final interaction.

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D

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Dark Patterns

/dɑːrk ˈpætərnz/

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Deceptive UX techniques intended to trick users into taking actions they might not normally do.

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Data Analysis

/ˈdeɪtə əˈnalɪsɪs/

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Process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data to discover useful information which informs conclusions and decision-making.

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Design sprint

/dɪˈzaɪn sprɪnt/

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A five-step method for solving big problems and testing new ideas, borrowing elements from design thinking.

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Design system

/dɪˈzaɪn ˈsɪstəm/

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A collection of reusable components, guided by clear standards, that allows for many different teams to design and develop in harmony.

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Design thinking

/dɪˈzaɪn ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

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A problem-solving approach that encourages a focal point on the user, creativity in ideation, iterative prototyping, and testing in real-world contexts.

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Desk research

/dɛsk rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/

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Gathering and analyzing information that is already available to answer your research questions.

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Double diamond

/ˈdʌbl ˈdaɪəmənd/

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A model of the design process, expressing the path from discovering an issue, to defining an idea, to developing a response, to delivering a solution.

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E

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Effectiveness of system

/ɪˈfɛktɪvnəs əv ˈsɪstəm/

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An evaluation of how well a system or procedure accomplishes the intended goals.

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Effectivity of system

/ɪˌfɛktɪˈvɪti əv ˈsɪstəm/

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A term often used interchangeably with 'effectiveness', quantifying the ability to achieve a desired effect.

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F

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Facilitator

/fəˈsɪlɪteɪtər/

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Collecting original data directly, typically through interviews, observations or surveys in a natural or real-world environment.

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Field research

/fiːld rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/

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Collecting original data directly, typically through interviews, observations or surveys in a natural or real-world environment.

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Figma

/ˈfɪgmə/

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A vector-based tool developed primarily for user interface and UX design, but also used for creating other types of digital graphics.

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Fold

/foʊld/

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Collecting original data directly, typically through interviews, observations or surveys in a natural or real-world environment.

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G

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Gradient

/ˈgreɪdiənt/

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A gradual blend of two or more colors or different levels of light and dark.

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Grid

/grɪd/

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A system of intersecting lines (vertical, horizontal, and angular) used to structure content in a design.

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Growth strategy

/groʊθ ˈstrætədʒi/

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A system of intersecting lines (vertical, horizontal, and angular) used to structure content in a design.

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H

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Heatmap

/ˈhiːtmæp/

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Represents a product's design at a detail level close to completion, providing a realistic view of its functionality.

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Hero section

/ˈhiroʊ ˈsɛkʃən/

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The major section placed at the top of a webpage, often containing key content aimed towards the first engagement of a user.

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High fidelity

/haɪ fɪˈdɛlɪti/

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Represents a product's design at a detail level close to completion, providing a realistic view of its functionality.

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HotJar

/ˈhɒtʒɑːr/

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A question-asking method used during the ideation phase of a design thinking process to explore innovative ideas.

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How might we

/haʊ maɪt wiː/

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A question-asking method used during the ideation phase of a design thinking process to explore innovative ideas.

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Human-centered design

/ˈhjuːmənˈsɛntərd dɪˈzaɪn/

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A creative approach to problem solving that starts with people and ends with innovative solutions tailored to their needs.

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I

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Information architecture

/ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən ˈɑːrkɪˌtɛktʃər/

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The art and science of organizing and labeling websites and apps to support usability, discoverability, and effective communication.

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Icon font

/ˈʌɪkɒn fɒnt/

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The art and science of organizing and labeling websites and apps to support usability, discoverability, and effective communication.

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Icomoon

/ˈʌɪkoʊmuːn/

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The art and science of organizing and labeling websites and apps to support usability, discoverability, and effective communication.

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K

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Kerning

/ˈkɜːrnɪŋ/

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The process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, often to achieve a visually pleasing result.

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L

5 cards

Landing page

/ˈlændɪŋ peɪdʒ/

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A standalone web page distinct from the main website that has been designed for a single focused objective.

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Leading

/ˈlɛdɪŋ/

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The space between lines of type, which can affect readability. It's typically measured from baseline to baseline.

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Lean UX

/liːn juː ɛks/

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A user-experience-centered methodology that consists of a constant cycle of designing, testing and iterating upon a product.

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Lorem Ipsum

/ˈloʊrəm ˈɪpsʊm/

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Placeholder, 'dummy' or 'greeking' text that's used in publishing and design to fill up space and visualize what real content would look like.

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Low fidelity

/loʊ fɪˈdɛlɪti/

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Refers to the level of details in a design prototype or concept, often offering a bare-bones presentation of key ideas.

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M

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Mental model

/ˈmɛntəl ˈmɑːdəl/

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A person's intuition of how something works based on their past experiences, perceptions, and reasoning.

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Mockup

/ˈmɑːkʌp/

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A model or replica of a machine, structure or system used for instructional or experimental purposes.

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P

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Paper prototyping

/ˈpeɪpər ˈproʊtəˌtaɪpɪŋ/

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A method where designers replicate an interface using paper and pen, in order to get feedback and make early usability evaluations.

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Persona

/pərˈsoʊnə/

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Fictional characters created to represent different user types that might use a product/service in a similar way.

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Prototype

/ˈproʊtəˌtaɪp/

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An early sample, model, or release of a product built for testing a concept or process.

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Q

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Qualitative user test

/kwɒˈlɪtətɪv ˈjuːzər tɛst/

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A testing method that uses a small number of respondents to gain insights into behavior patterns and users’ opinions of a product.

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Quantitative user test

/ˈkwɒntɪtətɪv ˈjuːzər tɛst/

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A testing method that relies on statistics and measurements using a larger number of respondents to provide insights into user behavior.

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R

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Rapid prototyping

/ˈræpɪd ˈproʊtəˌtaɪpɪŋ/

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An approach to design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes.

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Raster

/ˈræstər/

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Images made up of individual colored pixels that together create a picture.

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Responsive design

/rɪˈspɒnsɪv dɪˈzaɪn/

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An approach to design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes.

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RGB

/ɑːrdʒiːbiː/

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A color model used mainly for digital purposes, that combines red, green, and blue light in various ways to reproduce a wide array of colors.

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S

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Sans Serif Font

/ˈsænz ˈserɪf fɒnt/

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A style of typeface that lacks the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes.

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SCRUM

/skrʌm/

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A style of typeface that lacks the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes.

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SEO optimization

/ˌɛsoʊ ˌɒptɪmʌɪˈzeɪʃən/

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A style of typeface that lacks the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes.

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Serif Font

/ˈsɛrɪf fɒnt/

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A style of typeface that includes small lines or strokes attached to larger strokes in characters and symbols.

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T

2 card

Test participant

/tɛst/ /pɑːrˈtɪsɪpənt/

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In typography, it refers to the amount of space between a group of letters to affect density in a line or block of text.

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Tracking

/ˈtrækɪŋ/

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In typography, it refers to the amount of space between a group of letters to affect density in a line or block of text.

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U

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Usability heuristics

/ˌjuːzəˈbɪlɪti hjʊəˈrɪstɪks/

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The process of evaluating a product or system's usability by having real users perform specific tasks and studying their interactions.

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Usability testing

/juːˌzeɪbɪˈlɪti tɛstɪŋ/

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The process of evaluating a product or system's usability by having real users perform specific tasks and studying their interactions.

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User Experience

/ˈjuːzər ɪkˈspɪəriəns/

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The overall experience a user has with a product, system, or service, including its ease of use and how pleasing it is to use.

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User Interface

/ˈjuːzər ˈɪntərfeɪs/

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The series of screens, pages, buttons, and other visual elements that enable a person to interact with a product or service.

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User flow

/ˈjuːzər floʊ/

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A representation of the path a user can follow, either linear or non-linear, to complete a task within a product.

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Userlytics

/ˈjuːzərˈlitɪks/

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A representation of the path a user can follow, either linear or non-linear, to complete a task within a product.

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Usermoves

/ˈjuːzərmuːvz/

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The issues that users encounter that prevent them from accomplishing their goals with a product.

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Userzoom

/ˈjuːzərzuːm/

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The issues that users encounter that prevent them from accomplishing their goals with a product.

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User pain points

/kɑrd ˈsɔrtɪŋ/

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The issues that users encounter that prevent them from accomplishing their goals with a product.

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UX optimization

/juː ˈɛks ˌɒptɪmʌɪˈzeɪʃən/

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Investigating users and their requirements, in order to add context and insight into the design process.

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UX research

/juː ɛks rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/

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Investigating users and their requirements, in order to add context and insight into the design process.

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V

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Value proposition canvas

/ˈvæljuː ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃən ˈkænvəs/

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Graphics made from mathematical curves and points, which retain their sharpness regardless of how much they are resized.

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Vector

/ˈvɛktər/

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Graphics made from mathematical curves and points, which retain their sharpness regardless of how much they are resized.

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Vertical Rhytm

/ˈvɜːrtɪkəl ˈrɪðəm/

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A concept in typography that involves the arrangement of text in a way that makes the flow of reading more comfortable.

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W

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Web builder

/wɛb/ /ˈbɪldər/

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The unmarked space between different elements of a design.

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Webflow

/ˈwɛbfləʊ/

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The unmarked space between different elements of a design.

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White Space

/ˈwaɪt speɪs/

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The unmarked space between different elements of a design.

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Wireframe

/ˈwaɪərˌfreɪm/

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A two-dimensional illustration of a webpage's interface, often used to plan the layout and functionality of a site.

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