Numeronym for the word "Modularization" (M + 12 letters + N), dividing a system into separate, interchangeable modules that can be developed, tested, and maintained independently. Important for improving maintainability and scalability of systems.
The study of the practices and possibilities of music, covering elements like rhythm, melody, harmony, and form. Essential for understanding musical structure, composition, and performance.
A cognitive shortcut that relies on the recognition of one option over another to make a decision, often used when individuals have limited information. Crucial for designing interfaces and experiences that facilitate quick and effective decision-making.
The Principle of Front Doors is an information architecture guideline that acknowledges multiple entry points into a website or system. Crucial for ensuring that all entry points provide a coherent and navigable experience.
A decision-making strategy where individuals are prompted to make a choice rather than defaulting to a pre-set option. Useful for increasing user engagement and ensuring intentional decision-making.
A holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system's constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems. Essential for solving complex problems and designing systems that account for interdependencies and dynamics.
A framework suggesting there are two systems of thinking: System 1 (fast, automatic) and System 2 (slow, deliberate), influencing decision-making and behavior. Crucial for understanding how users process information and make decisions.
A graphical representation of a user or their character in digital environments. Crucial for personalizing user interactions and enhancing engagement.
The study of finding the best solution from a set of feasible solutions. Crucial for improving efficiency and performance in design and development processes.
The process of making predictions about future trends based on current and historical data. Useful for anticipating user needs and market trends to inform design decisions.
A method of testing two identical versions of a webpage or app to ensure the accuracy of the testing tool. Important for validating the effectiveness of A/B testing tools and processes.
The capability of a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of some of its components, ensuring that user experience is not significantly affected by errors or issues, similar to Postel's Law. Essential for designing reliable and resilient systems, such as a form that normalizes user input for compatibility rather than returning an error (e.g., unconstrained phone number format).
A research method that focuses on understanding phenomena through in-depth exploration of human behavior, opinions, and experiences, often using interviews or observations. Essential for gaining deep insights into user needs and behaviors to inform design and development.
A type of data visualization that uses dots to represent values for two different numeric variables, plotted along two axes. Essential for identifying relationships, patterns, and outliers in datasets used in digital product design and analysis.
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 phenomenon where new information interferes with the ability to recall previously learned information, affecting memory retention. Crucial for understanding memory dynamics and designing educational or training programs.
A metaphor for a balanced approach to product development, considering three core aspects: business viability, technical feasibility, and user desirability. Crucial for ensuring comprehensive and balanced product decisions.
A statistical technique that uses random sampling and statistical modeling to estimate mathematical functions and simulate systems. Useful for risk assessment, decision-making, and performance optimization in digital product design.
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.
The practice of preserving a user's data and settings between sessions in an application. Crucial for enhancing user experience by providing continuity and personalization.
A practice by Google where the mobile version of a website becomes the starting point for what Google includes in its index and the baseline for determining rankings. Crucial for ensuring websites are optimized for mobile users and perform well in search rankings.
An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a brand's name, used as a logo or branding element. Important for creating a simplified and recognizable brand identity.
A method for organizing information based on five categories: category, time, location, alphabet, and continuum. Useful for creating clear and effective information architectures.
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.
Call to Action (CTA) is a prompt that encourages users to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase. Crucial for guiding user behavior and increasing engagement or conversions on digital platforms.
A decision-making strategy where individuals allocate resources proportionally to the probability of an outcome occurring, rather than optimizing the most likely outcome. Important for understanding decision-making behaviors and designing systems that guide better resource allocation.
In-product assistance provided within the context of a specific task or screen, tailored to the user's current needs. Important for enhancing user experience by providing timely and relevant assistance.
A consensus-building technique where participants show their level of agreement or support by raising zero to five fingers. Useful for quickly gauging team agreement and making collaborative decisions in product design and development meetings.
The initial interaction a customer has with a brand. Important for understanding the beginning of the customer journey.
A problem-solving approach that involves breaking down complex problems into their most basic, foundational elements. Crucial for developing innovative solutions by understanding and addressing core issues.
A technique or tool used to lock oneself into following through on a commitment, often by adding a cost to failing to do so. Useful for designing interventions that help users stick to their goals and commitments.
The set of shared values, practices, and goals that characterize a startup company. Important for fostering innovation, agility, and a collaborative environment within product design teams.
The integration and application of knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines to enhance understanding and innovation. Crucial for fostering a holistic approach to problem-solving and design.
Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a graphical representation for specifying business processes in a workflow, using standardized symbols and notations. Essential for creating clear, standardized diagrams that facilitate understanding and communication of business processes in digital product design.
A specific organization of colors, which helps in the representation of color in both physical and digital forms. Crucial for accurate color representation and consistency across different mediums.
Specific attributes used to enhance the accessibility of web content and applications by providing additional information to assistive technologies. Crucial for making dynamic web content more accessible to users with disabilities.
Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) is a set of attributes that enhance the accessibility of web content for people with disabilities. Essential for making web applications more usable and inclusive.
A cognitive bias where individuals with low ability at a task overestimate their ability, while experts underestimate their competence. Crucial for designers to create educational content and user interfaces that accommodate varying levels of user expertise.
Small rewards or incentives given to users to encourage specific behaviors or actions. Important for motivating user engagement and fostering desired behaviors.
The percentage of visitors to a website who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page. Important for understanding user engagement and the effectiveness of a website's content and design.
The Principle of Choices is an information architecture guideline that emphasizes providing users with meaningful options to navigate and interact with a system. Crucial for enhancing user experience by ensuring users can easily find what they need without being overwhelmed.
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 psychological principle where people are more likely to be influenced by those they like. Important for understanding social influences and improving user engagement and marketing strategies.
The mathematical study of waiting lines or queues. Useful for optimizing user flow and reducing wait times in user interfaces.
A technique for creating interactive web applications by exchanging data with the server in the background without reloading the entire page. Essential for enhancing user experience by making web applications more dynamic and responsive.
Content designed to attract clicks by using sensational or misleading headlines. Important for recognizing and avoiding practices that can harm user trust and content quality.
The tendency for individuals to present themselves in a favorable light by overreporting good behavior and underreporting bad behavior in surveys or research. Crucial for designing research methods that mitigate biases and obtain accurate data.
A symbol, logo, or trademark used to identify a brand. Essential for establishing brand identity and ensuring recognition.
Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, and Ethical (STEEPLE) is an analysis tool that examines the factors influencing an organization. Crucial for comprehensive strategic planning and risk management in product design.
The study and application of ethical considerations in the development, implementation, and use of technology. Crucial for ensuring that technological advancements align with ethical standards and societal values.
A brainstorming technique where participants draw their ideas instead of writing them down. Important for stimulating creative thinking and visual problem-solving.
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 process of self-examination and adaptation in AI systems, where models evaluate and improve their own outputs or behaviors based on feedback. Crucial for enhancing the performance and reliability of AI-driven design solutions by fostering continuous learning and improvement.
User interfaces that change in response to user behavior or preferences to improve usability and efficiency. Crucial for creating personalized and efficient user experiences.
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.
A social norm of responding to a positive action with another positive action, fostering mutual benefit and cooperation. Important for designing user experiences and systems that encourage positive reciprocal interactions.
A method of categorizing information in more than one way to enhance findability and user experience. Crucial for improving navigation, search, and overall usability of complex information systems.
Emotional states where individuals are calm and rational, often contrasted with hot states where emotions run high. Important for understanding decision-making processes and designing experiences that accommodate both states.
Data points that differ significantly from other observations and may indicate variability in a measurement, experimental errors, or novelty. Crucial for identifying anomalies and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of data in digital product design.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of guidelines developed by WAI to make web content more accessible. Essential for ensuring that websites are usable by individuals with disabilities, thereby promoting inclusivity and compliance with accessibility standards.