A motivational theory suggesting that individuals are motivated to act based on the expected outcomes of their actions and the attractiveness of those outcomes. Important for understanding motivation and behavior, distinct from decision-making under uncertainty.
The phenomenon where individuals' expectations about a situation influence their actual experience of that situation. Useful for understanding the influence of expectations on outcomes.
The tendency to overestimate the duration or intensity of the emotional impact of future events. Important for understanding user expectations and satisfaction.
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 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 cognitive bias where individuals evaluate outcomes relative to a reference point rather than on an absolute scale. Essential for understanding decision-making and consumer behavior.
A method used in AI and machine learning to ensure prompts and inputs are designed to produce the desired outcomes. Essential for improving the accuracy and relevance of AI responses.
A role responsible for ensuring that products and services are delivered efficiently, on time, and within budget. Crucial for managing project timelines, resources, and stakeholder expectations.
CSM (Customer Success Management) is a business methodology focused on ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes while using a product or service. Crucial for driving customer retention and satisfaction.
Time to Value (TTV) is a metric that measures the time it takes for a customer to realize the value of a product or service after purchase. Crucial for optimizing customer satisfaction and improving business outcomes.
The process of evaluating the impact and success of a feature after its release, based on predefined metrics and user feedback. Crucial for understanding the effectiveness of features and informing future development.
A type of bias that occurs when the observer's expectations or beliefs influence their interpretation of what they are observing, including experimental outcomes. Essential for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of research and data collection.
Conversations with key stakeholders to gather insights, expectations, and feedback, ensuring their needs are understood and considered in the project. Essential for aligning project goals with stakeholder needs and obtaining valuable input for decision-making.
A document that outlines the objectives, scope, deliverables, and timeline of a project, providing clear direction and expectations for all stakeholders. Crucial for ensuring clear communication and alignment among project stakeholders.
The ability of users to influence the behavior and outcomes of a system or product, allowing them to interact with it according to their preferences. Essential for creating user-friendly interfaces that allow for flexibility and customization.
A document that defines the functionality, behavior, and features of a system or component. Important for providing clear requirements and expectations for product design and development teams, ensuring alignment and successful project outcomes.
A bias that occurs when researchers' expectations influence the outcome of a study. Crucial for designing research methods that ensure objectivity and reliability.
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 structured evaluation process where a product's design, functionality, and user experience are assessed, often by peers or experts. Essential for identifying areas for improvement and fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.
Cost Per Action (CPA) is an online advertising pricing model where the advertiser pays for a specified action, such as a sale or registration. This model is crucial for optimizing ad spend and measuring marketing effectiveness.
An approach to design that actively involves all stakeholders (e.g., employees, partners, customers) in the design process. Crucial for creating designs that truly meet user needs and expectations.
A collaborative process specific to the design phase that involves stakeholders, including users, in the refinement of user-centered design solutions. Essential for creating designs that truly meet user needs and expectations.
Objectives and Key Results (OKR) is a goal-setting framework for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes. Essential for aligning organizational goals, improving focus and engagement, and driving measurable results across teams and individuals.
A dark pattern where users think they are going to take one action, but a different, undesirable action happens instead. Designers must avoid this deceptive practice and be aware of its impact to ensure transparent user interactions.
The worth of something based on its ability to help achieve a desired end or goal. Useful for understanding and prioritizing design elements that contribute to user goals.
An approach that places the user's needs, preferences, and behaviors at the forefront of all design and development activities. Important for fostering a design culture that prioritizes user satisfaction and engagement.
A detailed description of a system's behavior as it responds to a request from one of its stakeholders, often used to capture functional requirements. Essential for understanding and documenting how users will interact with a system to achieve their goals.
A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate the likelihood of extreme events regressing to the mean. Crucial for understanding decision-making and judgment under uncertainty.
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 strategic plan that outlines the goals, milestones, and steps needed to deliver a product that achieves desired outcomes incrementally, providing a clear path forward. Essential for guiding product development and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
A professional responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition of a product or product line, ensuring it meets market needs and business goals. Essential for guiding the development and success of products from conception to market.
Cost Per Objective Option (CPOO) is a metric used to measure the cost efficiency of different marketing options based on achieving specific objectives. This metric is crucial for optimizing marketing spend and measuring campaign effectiveness.
An approach where designers and non-designers work together throughout the design process to create user-centric solutions. Crucial for creating more inclusive and effective design outcomes.
A cognitive bias that causes people to believe they are less likely to experience negative events and more likely to experience positive events than others. Crucial for understanding user risk perception and designing systems that account for unrealistic optimism.
Specific conditions that must be met for a product or feature to be considered complete and satisfactory. Essential for product managers and developers to ensure clarity and alignment on what constitutes "done".
The process of evaluating a product by testing it with real users to gather feedback and identify usability issues. Essential for validating design decisions and ensuring the product meets user needs.
Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) is a framework that focuses on understanding the tasks users are trying to accomplish with a product, emphasizing their goals and motivations over product features. Crucial for designing products that meet real user needs and motivations.
A simple description of a feature from the perspective of the user, typically used in Agile development to capture requirements and guide development. Crucial for ensuring that development efforts are aligned with user needs and priorities.
The systematic identification, analysis, planning, and implementation of actions designed to engage and influence stakeholders in a project. Crucial for maintaining positive relationships and ensuring stakeholder support throughout the project lifecycle.
Pre-set options in a system that are designed to benefit users by simplifying decisions and guiding them towards the best choices. Essential for improving user experience and ensuring that users make optimal decisions with minimal effort.
A theory of motivation that emphasizes the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering intrinsic motivation and psychological well-being. Important for understanding how to design experiences that support user motivation and well-being.
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying an information system. Essential for managing the complexities of software development and ensuring project success.
Research conducted to assess the effectiveness, usability, and impact of a design or product. Essential for validating design decisions and improving user experiences.
The process of quickly creating a preliminary version of a product to test and validate ideas before full-scale development. Important for validating design concepts and gathering user feedback early.
The process of testing and evaluating a design to ensure it meets user needs and business goals before final implementation. Crucial for ensuring that designs are effective and meet intended objectives.
The practice of guiding and inspiring teams to create effective, user-centered design solutions that align with business goals. Crucial for fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in design practices within organizations.
The principles and guidelines that govern the moral and ethical aspects of design, ensuring that designs are socially responsible and beneficial. Crucial for creating designs that are ethical, inclusive, and socially responsible.
A clear and concise list of criteria that a product or task must meet to be considered complete, ensuring alignment and understanding within a team. Essential for maintaining quality and consistency in agile project management.
A phenomenon where individuals' preferences between options change when the options are presented in different ways or contexts. Important for understanding and designing around inconsistencies in user choices.
A preliminary version of a project or system used to test and validate its feasibility before full-scale implementation. Crucial for identifying potential issues and making necessary adjustments to improve the final product.
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.
An analysis comparing the costs and benefits of a decision or project to determine its feasibility and value. Important for making informed business and design decisions.
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.
Performance and Accountability Reporting (PAR) is a comprehensive document that outlines an organization's performance in achieving its goals and its accountability in managing resources. This report is essential for transparency, governance, and continuous improvement.
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.
Cost of Delay (CoD) is a metric that quantifies the economic impact of delaying a project, feature, or task. Important for making informed decisions about project prioritization and resource allocation.
Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) is a software development approach where applications are specified and designed by describing their behavior. Important for ensuring clear communication and shared understanding between developers and stakeholders.
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 research process used to identify and understand the underlying needs of users to inform the design of products and services. Essential for creating user-centered designs that address real user needs.
A high-level description of a system's structure and interactions, focusing on its market-facing aspects rather than technical details. Useful for communicating the value and structure of a digital product to non-technical stakeholders and aligning with market needs.