A method used to create detailed narratives of potential future events to explore and understand possible outcomes and inform decision-making. Essential for strategic planning and anticipating the impact of different decisions or changes.
The strategic objectives that an organization aims to achieve, guiding its operations and decision-making processes. Important for aligning digital product development with the broader mission and objectives of the organization.
The process of collecting and documenting the needs and expectations of stakeholders for a new or modified product or system. Essential for ensuring that the final product meets user needs and business objectives.
A strategic approach where multiple potential solutions are tested to identify the most promising one. Crucial for innovation and reducing risk in decision-making.
Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a method used to transform customer needs into engineering characteristics for a product or service. Essential for ensuring that customer requirements are systematically incorporated into the design and development process.
The risk that the product cannot be built as envisioned due to technical limitations, resource constraints, or other practical challenges. Important for confirming that the product can be realistically developed and deployed with the available technology and resources.
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.
A fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product in a similar way, guiding design decisions. Essential for user-centered design, ensuring that products meet the needs of target users.
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 process of developing and maintaining a brand to ensure it meets business goals and customer expectations. Crucial for sustaining brand equity and achieving long-term success.
The process of designing, developing, and managing tools and techniques for measuring performance and collecting data. Essential for monitoring and improving system performance and user experience.
An ongoing process of learning and development that enables individuals and organizations to adapt to changing environments and requirements. Crucial for staying current with industry trends and improving skills and knowledge.
A small, cross-functional team of 6-12 people focused on delivering a specific product feature or component. Essential for agile development, allowing for rapid iteration and close collaboration among team members.
Voice of the Customer (VOC) is a process for capturing customers' expectations, preferences, and aversions. Crucial for guiding product development and improving customer satisfaction.
A Japanese term meaning "continuous improvement," focusing on small, incremental changes to enhance processes and products. Crucial for fostering a culture of ongoing improvement and excellence in product design and development.
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) is a data-driven improvement cycle used in Six Sigma. Crucial for systematically improving processes and ensuring quality in digital product development.
A type of usability testing conducted during the design process to identify issues and improve the design iteratively. Crucial for refining designs and ensuring usability before final release.
A principle that states tasks always take longer than expected, even when considering Hofstadter's Law itself. Important for setting realistic project timelines and managing expectations in digital product development.
A principle stating that as investment in a single area increases, the rate of return on that investment eventually decreases. Important for understanding and optimizing resource allocation in product design and development.
A system of design variables used to maintain consistency in a design system, such as colors, fonts, and spacing. Crucial for ensuring uniformity and scalability in design across different platforms and products.
A data-driven methodology aimed at improving processes by identifying and removing defects, and reducing variability. Crucial for enhancing the quality and efficiency of digital product development processes.
A fictional representation of a user segment, created based on user research to guide design decisions and ensure the product meets the needs of its target audience. Crucial for keeping design efforts focused on user needs and preferences.
A design approach that focuses on building a robust core experience first, then adding more advanced features and capabilities for users with more capable browsers or devices. Essential for ensuring a consistent and accessible user experience across different devices and browsers.
The process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential threats that could impact the success of a digital product, including usability issues, technical failures, and user data security. Essential for maintaining product reliability, user satisfaction, and data protection, while minimizing the impact of potential design and development challenges.
The established set of core values, stories, and attributes that define a brand's identity and guide its communications. Essential for maintaining brand consistency and authenticity.
A short, daily meeting (separate from Standup) for the development team to sync on progress and plan for the day, part of the Scrum agile framework. Crucial for maintaining team alignment and momentum in agile projects.
A collective term for Request for Information (RFI), Request for Proposal (RFP), and Request for Quotation (RFQ) processes used in procurement. Crucial for managing vendor selection and procurement processes in digital product development.
Designing products that leverage behavioral science to influence user behavior in positive ways. Crucial for creating products that are effective in shaping user behavior and improving engagement.
Also known as feature creep, the continuous addition of new features to a product, often beyond the original scope, leading to project delays and resource strain. Important for managing project scope and ensuring timely delivery.
Program Increment (PI) Planning is a cadence-based event that serves as the heartbeat of the Agile Release Train, aligning teams on goals and priorities for the next increment. Crucial for aligning teams, setting goals, and planning work.
Detailed, Estimated, Emergent, and Prioritized (DEEP) is an agile project management framework for a well-maintained product backlog. Important for maintaining a clear and actionable backlog in agile methodologies.
A visual representation of the stages a sales opportunity goes through, helping to track progress and forecast revenue. Important for managing sales processes and predicting future sales.
A visual representation of a sequence of events or user interactions, used to plan and communicate the flow of a narrative or process. Important for visualizing and communicating design concepts and user journeys.
A structured routine for continuous improvement based on a scientific approach to problem-solving and process optimization. Crucial for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within product design teams.
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is an iterative four-step management method used for continuous improvement of processes and products. Essential for quality control and operational efficiency.
The study of the principles and practices that inform and guide the design process. Essential for understanding the foundational concepts that underpin effective design.
A hybrid Agile project management framework that combines elements of Scrum and Kanban to improve flexibility and workflow management. Useful for teams seeking to blend the structured approach of Scrum with the visual workflow of Kanban.
A time-boxed period in which Agile teams deliver incremental value in the form of working, tested software and systems. Essential for aligning teams, managing dependencies, and ensuring continuous delivery.
A list of tasks and deliverables that a team commits to completing during a sprint, providing a clear focus and scope for the sprint's duration. Essential for organizing and prioritizing work within an Agile sprint.
The process of making small, continuous improvements to products, services, or processes over time. Important for sustaining growth and maintaining competitiveness through ongoing improvements.
Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA) is a four-step management method used for continuous improvement of processes and products. Essential for implementing and maintaining continuous improvement in business and design processes.
An organizational environment that encourages and supports creative thinking, risk-taking, and the pursuit of new ideas. Essential for fostering continuous improvement and breakthrough advancements.
A meeting where the Agile team discusses and decides what tasks will be completed in the upcoming sprint, establishing a clear plan for the sprint's duration. Crucial for ensuring the team is aligned and has a clear understanding of the work to be done in the sprint.
An ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes over time through incremental and breakthrough improvements. Crucial for fostering a culture of constant enhancement and adaptation.
Project Management Professional (PMP) is a globally recognized certification for project managers, awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI). Essential for validating project management expertise and enhancing career prospects.
A marketing strategy where two brands collaborate to create a product or service that leverages the strengths of both. Crucial for expanding market reach and enhancing brand value through strategic partnerships.
Product Development is the process of bringing a new product to market or improving an existing one. Crucial for innovation, meeting customer needs, and maintaining a competitive edge.
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) is the process of managing an application's development, maintenance, and eventual retirement throughout its lifecycle. Important for ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of digital products over time.
Proof of Concept (PoC) is a demonstration, usually in the form of a prototype or pilot project, to verify that a concept or theory has practical potential. Crucial for validating ideas, demonstrating feasibility, and securing support for further development in product design and innovation 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.
Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR) are the four main principles of web accessibility. These principles are essential for creating inclusive digital experiences that can be accessed and used by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.
The practice of developing artificial intelligence systems that are fair, transparent, and respect user privacy and rights. Crucial for ensuring that AI technologies are developed responsibly and ethically.
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) is an agile project delivery framework focused on delivering business value early and continuously. Essential for ensuring that projects align with business goals and user needs through iterative processes.
A design language developed by Google that uses shadow, depth, and motion to create a realistic and intuitive user interface. Crucial for creating modern, consistent, and user-friendly interfaces.
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.
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.
Software Requirements Specification (SRS) is a detailed document that outlines the functional and non-functional requirements of a software system. Crucial for ensuring clear communication and understanding between stakeholders and the development team.
Specific roles assigned to HTML elements to define their purpose and behavior in an accessible manner. Crucial for improving the accessibility and usability of web applications.
Minimum Viable Experience (MVE) is the simplest version of a product that delivers a complete and satisfying user experience while meeting core user needs. Essential for rapidly validating product concepts and user experience designs while ensuring that even early versions of a product provide value and a positive impression to users.
An agile methodology that separates product discovery and product delivery into parallel tracks to ensure continuous learning and delivery. Essential for balancing innovation and execution in agile product development.