Complexity Theory
The study of complex systems and how interactions within these systems give rise to collective behaviors. Useful for understanding and managing the complexity in design processes and systems.
The study of complex systems and how interactions within these systems give rise to collective behaviors. Useful for understanding and managing the complexity in design processes and systems.
Interference in the communication process caused by ambiguity in the meaning of words and phrases, leading to misunderstandings. Crucial for designing clear communication channels and reducing misunderstandings in user interactions.
A creative thinking technique where the typical process is reversed to generate new ideas by considering the opposite of conventional assumptions. Useful for fostering innovation and challenging existing assumptions in problem-solving.
A cognitive bias where people tend to believe that others are more affected by media messages and persuasive communications than they are themselves. Important for understanding media influence and designing communications that account for this bias in user perception.
An organization that applies behavioral science to policy and practice to improve public services and outcomes. Important for understanding practical applications of behavioral science in policy and public services.
Obstacles to effective communication that arise from differences in understanding the meanings of words and symbols used by the communicators. Crucial for designing clear and effective communication systems and avoiding misunderstandings.
A philosophy that emphasizes reason and logic as the primary sources of knowledge and truth. Useful for understanding the foundations of logical thinking and decision-making in design and development.
A professional who designs, builds, and maintains systems for processing large-scale data sets. Essential for enabling data-driven decision-making and supporting advanced analytics in organizations.
The theory that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, often used to understand and influence behavior change. Important for designing interventions that promote positive behavior change.
A cognitive bias where new evidence or knowledge is automatically rejected because it contradicts established norms or beliefs. Important for recognizing resistance to change and designing strategies to encourage openness to new ideas among designers.
A group of individuals with similar skills or expertise, spread across different squads, who come together to share knowledge and best practices. Crucial for maintaining technical excellence and fostering professional development within specific disciplines.
The ability to understand and deal with various business situations, making sound decisions to ensure successful outcomes. Important for designers to align their work with business goals and make informed decisions.
A planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then works backwards to identify steps to achieve that future. Important for strategic planning and setting long-term goals in design and development.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) Goals are a framework for setting and achieving clear objectives. Essential for setting clear and actionable objectives in personal and professional contexts.
The process of performing a series of seemingly unrelated and often tedious tasks that are necessary to solve a larger problem. Important for recognizing and managing the indirect tasks that contribute to achieving the main objectives in digital product design.
The study of how information is transmitted and received, including the processes and methods that facilitate communication. Important for designing effective communication strategies and user interfaces.
A product development approach where teams start with the desired customer experience and work backwards to determine what needs to be built to achieve that outcome. Essential for ensuring that product development is aligned with customer needs and expectations.
Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is a language for specifying business process behaviors based on web services. Important for defining and automating complex business processes in digital product workflows.
Also known as the 68-95-99.7 Rule, it states that for a normal distribution, nearly all data will fall within three standard deviations of the mean. Important for understanding the distribution of data and making predictions about data behavior in digital product design.
A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate the likelihood of extreme events regressing to the mean. Crucial for understanding decision-making and judgment under uncertainty.
A technique used to prime an audience before delivering a persuasive message. Essential for enhancing the effectiveness of persuasive communication by shaping audience receptivity.
The study of dynamic systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, leading to unpredictable behavior. Important for recognizing and managing unpredictable elements in design and development processes.
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is a program developed by W3C to improve web accessibility. Essential for creating guidelines and resources to help make the web accessible to people with disabilities.
Qualitative data that provides insights into the context and human aspects behind quantitative data. Crucial for gaining deep insights into user behaviors and motivations.
A phenomenon where the winner of an auction tends to overpay due to emotional competition, leading to a less favorable outcome than anticipated. Important for understanding decision-making biases and designing systems that mitigate overbidding risks.
The perseverance and passion for long-term goals, often seen as a key trait for success. Important for understanding and fostering resilience and persistence in design and product development.
The evaluation of products based on their ability to influence and shape user behavior. Useful for assessing how well a product guides and influences user actions and decisions.
A problem-solving process that includes logical reasoning, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking. Important for developing efficient and effective solutions in digital product design and development.
A usability testing method where users interact with a system they believe to be autonomous, but which is actually operated by a human. Essential for testing concepts and interactions before full development.
Also known as Self Relevance Effect, the tendency for individuals to better remember information that is personally relevant or related to themselves. Important for designing personalized user experiences and enhancing memory retention.
A brainstorming technique that involves listing all possible attributes of a product or problem to generate new ideas and solutions. Useful for generating creative solutions and improving product features.
A psychological phenomenon where a person who has done a favor for someone is more likely to do another favor for that person than if they had received a favor from them. Useful for building positive relationships and encouraging cooperative behavior in design and user interactions.
A method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app to see which performs better in terms of user engagement or conversions. Crucial for designers and product managers to test variations and optimize user experience and performance.
The study of the principles that govern human behavior, including how people respond to stimuli and learn from their environment. Crucial for designing user experiences that anticipate and influence user behavior.
Practical applications of behavioral science to understand and influence human behavior in various contexts. Crucial for applying scientific insights to design and improve user experiences and outcomes.
The study of psychology as it relates to the economic decision-making processes of individuals and institutions. Essential for understanding and influencing user decision-making and behavior in economic contexts.
A psychological phenomenon where people do something primarily because others are doing it. Important for understanding social influences on user behavior and trends.
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a productivity methodology that emphasizes capturing tasks, organizing them, and taking action. Essential for improving personal and team productivity and task management.
A concept that humans make decisions within the limits of their knowledge, cognitive capacity, and available time, leading to satisficing rather than optimal solutions. Crucial for designing systems and processes that account for human cognitive limitations and decision-making processes.
A logical fallacy in which it is assumed that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, due to an irrelevant association. Important for avoiding incorrect associations in user research and data interpretation.
A cognitive process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions, often contrasted with convergent thinking. Essential for fostering creativity and innovation in problem-solving and design.
A risk management model that illustrates how multiple layers of defense (like slices of Swiss cheese) can prevent failures, despite each layer having its own weaknesses. Crucial for understanding and mitigating risks in complex systems.
The systematic computational analysis of data or statistics to understand and improve business performance. Essential for data-driven decision making in design, product management, and marketing.
A skill set that combines deep knowledge in a single area (the vertical stroke) with a broad understanding across multiple disciplines (the horizontal stroke). Valuable for fostering versatility and collaboration within teams, enhancing problem-solving and innovation.
A mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision. Crucial for understanding how people make decisions and the biases that influence their choices.
A statistical rule stating that nearly all values in a normal distribution (99.7%) lie within three standard deviations (sigma) of the mean. Important for identifying outliers and understanding variability in data, aiding in quality control and performance assessment in digital product design.
A cognitive bias where people overestimate the importance of information that is readily available. Essential for designers to understand and mitigate how easily accessible information can disproportionately influence decisions.
Quantitative data that provides broad, numerical insights but often lacks the contextual depth that thick data provides. Useful for capturing high-level trends and patterns, but should be complemented with thick data to gain a deeper understanding of user behavior and motivations.
A design pattern that combines human and machine intelligence to enhance decision-making and problem-solving. Important for leveraging AI to support and amplify human capabilities.
An economic approach that treats human attention as a scarce commodity, focusing on capturing and retaining user attention. Crucial for understanding user engagement and designing products that effectively capture and retain attention.
A logical fallacy where anecdotal evidence is used to make a broad generalization. Crucial for improving critical thinking and avoiding misleading conclusions.
A theoretical framework in economics that assumes individuals act rationally and seek to maximize utility, used to predict economic behavior and outcomes. Important for understanding traditional economic theories and designing systems that account for rational decision-making.
The ability to use learned knowledge and experience, often increasing with age and accumulated learning. Important for understanding how expertise and knowledge accumulation impact design and decision-making.
Anchoring (also known as Focalism) is a cognitive bias where individuals rely heavily on the first piece of information (the "anchor") when making decisions. Crucial for understanding and mitigating initial information's impact on user decision-making processes.
A method where a document or proposal is limited to one page and created within one hour to ensure clarity and focus. Crucial for efficient communication and decision-making.
Moment of Truth (MoT) refers to any instance where a customer interacts with a brand, product, or service in a way that leaves a significant impression. Crucial for identifying key touchpoints in the customer journey and optimizing them to enhance overall user experience and brand perception.
The experience of noticing something for the first time and then frequently encountering it shortly after, also known as frequency illusion. Important for understanding user perception and cognitive biases in information processing.
A cognitive bias where people ignore general statistical information in favor of specific information. Critical for designers to use general statistical information to improve decision-making accuracy and avoid bias.
A set of fundamental principles and guidelines that inform and shape user research practices. Crucial for maintaining consistency and ensuring high-quality user insights.
The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. Important for fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.