User interfaces

A method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app element to see which one performs better. Users are shown one of two versions, and data is collected to determine the winner.

Accessibility ensures that products, services, and environments are usable by people with the widest range of abilities and disabilities. It aims to remove barriers for all users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.

Adaptive design creates multiple fixed layouts for different screen sizes, detecting the device and serving the most appropriate layout. Unlike responsive design, it doesn't fluidly adjust.

Affordance refers to the perceived and actual properties of an object that suggest how it can be used. In UI design, it's about making it obvious what actions are possible with an interface element.

A text-based interface used to operate software and operating systems by typing commands. Users interact by entering lines of text to perform tasks.

Consistency in UI design means using similar elements, behaviors, and layouts throughout an application or across a suite of products. It helps users learn and predict how new parts of the interface will work.

A perceptual bias where the characteristics of an object or stimulus are judged differently based on its comparison to other adjacent or recently experienced stimuli.

Dark patterns are user interface design choices that intentionally trick or mislead users into doing things they might not otherwise do. They often exploit psychological biases for commercial gain.

Mental exhaustion caused by making too many choices, which can result in users making poorer decisions or avoiding decisions altogether.

Efficiency in UI design refers to how quickly users can perform tasks once they have learned the system. It focuses on minimizing steps and maximizing productivity for experienced users.

The psychological bias where individuals place a higher value on an item simply because they own it or feel a sense of possession, regardless of its objective market value.

Feedback is the information provided to a user about the result of their action or the status of a system. It confirms actions, indicates errors, or shows progress, guiding the user's interaction.

A gesture interface allows users to interact with a computer system using physical movements or gestures, often captured by sensors or cameras. Examples include touchscreens and motion controllers.

The tendency for users to increase their effort and speed as they get closer to achieving a specific goal, driven by the perceived proximity to completion.

A type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators. It uses windows, icons, menus, and pointers (WIMP).

Heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where expert evaluators assess a user interface against a set of established usability principles (heuristics). It helps identify usability problems in the design.

A multidisciplinary field concerned with the design, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use. It studies how people interact with computers and seeks to improve that interaction.

The structural design of shared information environments, focusing on organizing, structuring, and labeling content effectively. It helps users find information and complete tasks.

Information hierarchy is the organization of content in a way that prioritizes the most important information. It uses visual cues like size, color, and placement to guide the user's eye and understanding.

Interaction Design (IxD) focuses on creating engaging interactive systems. It considers how users interact with a product, anticipating their actions and designing appropriate responses and feedback.

Layout refers to the arrangement of visual elements on a page or screen. It dictates how text, images, and interactive components are organized to create a clear and aesthetically pleasing structure.

Learnability is the ease with which new users can accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter a design. It measures how quickly users can become proficient with an interface.

A powerful cognitive bias where the psychological impact of incurring a loss is felt much more intensely than the pleasure derived from an equivalent gain.

A mental model is a user's internal representation of how a system works based on their past experiences and assumptions. Effective UI design aligns with users' mental models to make interfaces intuitive.

A mockup is a static, high-fidelity visual representation of a user interface, showing how the final product will look. It includes visual design elements like colors, typography, and imagery but is not interactive.

Navigation refers to the process by which users move through a website or application to find information or complete tasks. Effective navigation ensures users can easily understand where they are and how to get elsewhere.

Onboarding is the process of guiding new users through their initial experience with a product or service. It aims to help them understand its value, set up their accounts, and learn basic functionalities.

A persona is a fictional, archetypal user created to represent a distinct user group that might use a product, service, or site in a similar way. They are based on user research and help designers understand user needs.

A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It simulates the user experience and allows for early feedback on design and functionality before final development.

The social psychological principle stating that individuals are more inclined to respond positively and give back to those who have previously provided something to them.

Responsive design is an approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes. It uses flexible layouts and media queries to adapt content.

Satisfaction in UI/UX refers to the subjective positive feelings and attitudes users have when interacting with a product or system. It measures their overall contentment with the experience.

Pre-selected options within an interface that are thoughtfully designed to steer users toward common or optimal choices, effectively reducing their cognitive load.

The cognitive bias where individuals prefer things to remain as they are, often leading to resistance against changes, even if new options offer clear improvements.

Usability refers to the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. It assesses how effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily users can achieve specific goals in a particular environment.

Usability testing involves observing real users as they attempt to complete tasks using a product. It helps identify usability problems, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and determine user satisfaction.

User Experience (UX) encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products. It focuses on how users feel about using a product, system, or service.

The user interface is the point of interaction and communication between a human user and a computer system, encompassing all visual, auditory, and tactile elements. It allows users to interact with a machine, application, or website to achieve specific goals.

A user journey map is a visualization of the process a user goes through to accomplish a goal with a product or service. It illustrates the user's steps, thoughts, and feelings from beginning to end.

Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a user interface and its related materials. It considers colors, typography, imagery, and overall layout to enhance usability and appeal.

A Voice User Interface (VUI) allows users to interact with a system using spoken commands. It relies on speech recognition and natural language processing to understand and respond to user input.

An interactive element of a graphical user interface, such as a button, checkbox, slider, or text input field. These elements allow users to input data or trigger actions.

A wireframe is a low-fidelity, two-dimensional skeletal outline of a webpage or application's interface. It focuses on the layout, content hierarchy, and functionality, without visual design details.