Design Wiki
About
A working glossary of design, product and emerging technology terms. Plain definitions, how each one is actually used, and the questions people ask about it.
230 terms across 5 categories. Every entry answers what it is, why it matters, how it is applied, when to reach for it and who uses it.
Design Processes
A/B Testing
Comparing two versions (A and B) of a design or feature to determine which performs better based on predefined success criteria. A/B testing is commonly used to optimize user experiences, improve conversion rates, and make data-driven decisions by analyzing user interactions and preferences.
API (Application Programming Interface)
Specifies the rules and protocols for building software components, enabling them to communicate and interact seamlessly. API design ensures efficient data exchange between different parts of a system.
API Design
Creating the interface for software components, ensuring efficient communication and interaction between different parts of a system. API design focuses on defining protocols, endpoints, and data formats for seamless integration between software modules, services, or external platforms, enhancing the interoperability and scalability of a digital product.
ARIA
HTML attributes that tell assistive technology what an element is and what state it is in.
Accessibility Design
Designing products and interfaces to be inclusive, ensuring they can be used by people with various abilities and disabilities. Accessibility design considers factors such as screen readers, keyboard navigation, and color contrast to provide equal access to information and functionality for all users.
Accessibility Tree
The version of the page that screen readers and assistive tech actually see.
Additive Manufacturing
Creating objects by adding material layer by layer.
Agile Design
An iterative and flexible design approach that aligns with Agile development methodologies, allowing for quick adaptations and responses to changing requirements. Agile design promotes collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement, enabling teams to deliver functional and user-centered solutions in a dynamic environment.
Atomic Design
Methodology emphasizing the use of design systems.
Auto Layout
Figma's way of making frames resize and rearrange their contents like real flexbox.
Backend
Refers to the server-side of a digital product or website, including infrastructure, databases, and functionality that support the frontend. Backend design ensures the smooth operation of the entire system.
Backend Design
Planning and designing the server-side infrastructure and functionality that supports the frontend of a digital product. Backend design involves considerations for data storage, server architecture, and system integration, ensuring the seamless functioning and performance of the overall digital solution.
Bill of Materials (BOM)
The complete list of every part, material and quantity needed to build a product.
CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
Use of computer systems to aid in the creation, modification, or analysis of a design.
CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing)
Use of software to control machine tools in manufacturing.
CMF (Colour, Material, Finish)
The discipline of specifying what a product is made of, what colour it is and how its surface feels.
CXM (Customer Experience Management)
A holistic approach to managing and optimizing all interactions a customer has with a brand. CXM involves understanding customer journeys and feedback to enhance overall satisfaction and loyalty.
Co-Design
A collaborative design process involving various stakeholders, including end-users, to ensure diverse perspectives and input in the creation of a product or solution. Co-design emphasizes inclusivity, shared decision-making, and collaboration, fostering a sense of ownership among participants and enhancing the relevance and success of the final design.
Colour Contrast Ratio
How much lighter or darker text is than what sits behind it, expressed as a number.
Component Library
Repository of reusable design elements.
Component-Driven Development
Building an interface from small, independent, reusable parts, bottom-up.
Computational Design
Using code and algorithms as a design tool, not just to draw but to generate and evaluate.
Conceptual Design
Developing high-level ideas and abstract concepts as the initial step in the design process, exploring potential directions for a project. Conceptual design involves brainstorming, exploration, and experimentation to establish a creative foundation before diving into detailed design iterations.
Content Strategy
Planning and managing content creation and delivery.
Continuous Discovery
Talking to users every week as a habit, not once at the start of a project.
Core Web Vitals
Google's three measures of how a page feels to load and use.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
How much the page jumps around while it loads.
DEVT (Design Verification Testing)
A phase in the product development process where the design is tested to ensure it meets predefined criteria and design specifications. DEVT focuses on validating the design's functionality and performance.
DFA (Design for Assembly)
Designing products with ease of assembly in mind.
DFMEA (Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis)
Analyzing potential failure modes in a design.
DFS (Design for Sustainability)
The broader discipline that sets a product's environmental, social and economic impact as a design constraint from the first sketch.
DFSS (Design for Six Sigma)
Applying Six Sigma principles to the design process.
Dark Mode
A version of the interface with light text on dark surfaces, usually following the system setting.
Design Automation
Incorporating automated tools and processes into the design workflow to enhance efficiency, reduce manual work, and streamline repetitive tasks. Design automation can include tools for prototyping, version control, and repetitive design tasks, allowing designers to focus on creative aspects while improving productivity and consistency.
Design Brief
A comprehensive document outlining project goals, target audience, scope, constraints, and other essential information to guide the design process. A well-crafted design brief provides a clear roadmap for designers, ensuring alignment with project objectives, stakeholder expectations, and constraints from the outset.
Design Collaboration
A cooperative effort involving multiple designers or stakeholders working together to contribute diverse perspectives and skills to a project. Design collaboration enhances creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making by leveraging the collective expertise of a team, promoting communication and shared ownership of the design process.
Design Documentation
A comprehensive record that captures all aspects of the design process, including decisions, iterations, and outcomes, serving as a reference for future work or collaboration. Design documentation preserves institutional knowledge, facilitates communication, and provides a historical context for understanding the evolution of a design over time.
Design Ethics
Considerations and conscientious practices related to ethical implications in design, encompass
Design Evolution
The natural progression and development of a design over time, incorporating feedback, improvements, and adaptations. Design evolution reflects the iterative nature of the design process.
Design Exploration
A creative and open-minded investigation of various design possibilities, often involving brainstorming, experimentation, and ideation. Design exploration encourages designers to think beyond conventional solutions, explore diverse concepts, and push the boundaries of creativity, fostering innovation and uniqueness in the final design.
Design Feedback
Input and critique provided by stakeholders and users to assess and improve the design through various stages of development. Design feedback is crucial for identifying areas of improvement, validating design decisions, and ensuring that the final product meets the expectations and needs of its intended audience.
Design Guidelines
Prescribed rules and recommendations for consistent and cohesive design implementation across various elements of a project. Design guidelines ensure uniformity in visual aesthetics, interaction patterns, and branding, facilitating collaboration among design teams and maintaining a cohesive user experience across different touchpoints.
Design Ideation
The generation of creative ideas and concepts to address design challenges and inspire innovative solutions. Design ideation involves brainstorming, sketching, and collaborative activities to generate a wide range of concepts that can be evaluated, refined, and selected for further development based on their potential impact and feasibility.
Design Language
The consistent use of visual elements and design principles to create a unified and recognizable identity across products and communication. Design language fosters brand cohesion.
Design Metrics
Quantifiable measures used to assess the success and impact of a design, including user engagement, conversion rates, and other relevant indicators. Design metrics provide valuable insights into the performance and effectiveness of a design, allowing designers to make data-driven decisions and continually optimize their work for better outcomes.
Design Optimization
The process of refining and enhancing design elements to improve performance, efficiency, and overall user satisfaction. Design optimization involves iterative improvements based on data, user feedback, and usability testing, aiming to create a design that not only meets but exceeds expectations in terms of functionality and user experience.
Design Patterns
Standardized solutions to recurring design problems, offering best practices for addressing common challenges in a consistent manner. Design patterns facilitate efficiency, maintainability, and scalability in design by providing proven solutions for commonly encountered issues, such as navigation or data presentation.
Design Principles
Fundamental concepts and guidelines that inform design decisions and contribute to the overall success of a project. Design principles encompass overarching themes such as simplicity, clarity, and user-centricity, guiding designers in making informed decisions that align with project goals and user expectations.
Design Protocols
Established procedures and guidelines for conducting design-related activities within a team or organization. Design protocols ensure consistency and efficiency.
Design Refinement
Iteratively improving design elements based on feedback, testing, and evolving project requirements to achieve optimal results. Design refinement involves fine-tuning visual aesthetics, user interactions, and overall functionality, ensuring that the design aligns with objectives and continuously meets user needs.
Design Research
The systematic investigation of user needs, market trends, and relevant data to inform and guide the design process. Design research involves methods such as surveys, interviews, and competitive analysis, providing designers with valuable insights into user preferences, pain points, and industry benchmarks that shape the design direction.
Design Review
A critical evaluation of a design, involving stakeholders and experts, to assess its effectiveness, identify improvements, and ensure alignment with project goals. Design reviews provide valuable feedback, validation, and strategic insights, contributing to the refinement and success of the design.
Design Sprint
A time-constrained, collaborative workshop that focuses on solving specific design challenges through ideation, prototyping, and testing. Design sprints, popularized by Jake Knapp, help teams rapidly iterate and validate ideas, providing a structured framework for innovation and problem-solving within a short timeframe.
Design Standards
Accepted criteria or specifications used to measure and assess the quality and performance of a design. Design standards contribute to uniformity and best practices.
Design Strategy
A comprehensive plan that outlines the approach, goals, and methods for achieving success in a design project. Design strategy involves aligning design objectives with broader business and user goals, considering market trends, competition, and user needs to create a roadmap for design execution and success.
Design System
Centralized collection of design elements and rules for consistency.
Design System Governance
The rules and roles that decide how a design system changes and who can change it.
Design Systems
A centralized collection of design elements, guidelines, and reusable components that promotes consistency and efficiency across projects. Design systems include patterns, styles, and documentation, enabling designers and developers to create cohesive, on-brand experiences with less effort and greater scalability.
Design Thinking
A problem-solving methodology that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and collaboration to develop innovative and user-centric solutions. Design thinking involves stages such as empathizing, defining the problem, ideating, prototyping, and testing, fostering a human-centered approach to addressing complex challenges.
Design Tokens
Abstracted design properties for consistent use.
Design Trends
Current and popular styles, approaches, and techniques influencing the design industry. Design trends reflect the evolving preferences of users and designers.
Design Validation
The process of confirming that a design meets specified requirements, standards, and user expectations through testing and assessment. Design validation involves various methods, such as usability testing, user feedback, and performance testing, to ensure that the final design aligns with its intended goals and delivers a positive user experience.
Design for Assembly (DFA)
Designing a product so it goes together quickly, correctly and with as few parts as possible.
Design for Cost
Designing products with production cost in mind.
Design for Disassembly
Designing products for ease of disassembly.
Design for Environment
Designing a product around its environmental impact, from the materials it is made of to what happens to it at end of life.
Design for Manufacture (DFM)
Designing a part so it can actually be made well, cheaply and repeatedly.
Design for Recycling
Designing products with recyclability in mind.
Design for Reliability
Designing products for consistent performance over time.
Design for Usability
Designing products for ease of use.
Design-to-Code
Turning a design file into working front-end code, increasingly with tools that do most of it.
Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS)
3D printing solid metal parts by fusing powder with a laser, layer by layer.
EVT (Engineering Verification Testing)
A phase in the product development process where the design is tested to ensure it meets engineering specifications and requirements. EVT identifies and addresses potential issues before mass production.
Empty State
What a screen shows when there is nothing in it yet.
Ethnographic Research
Studying and understanding user behavior, preferences, and cultural contexts through observation and interaction in their natural environments. Ethnographic research provides deep insights into users' lives, motivations, and challenges, informing design decisions with a rich understanding of the social and cultural contexts.
FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
3D printing process depositing material layer by layer.
Figma Variables
Named values in Figma — colours, numbers, strings, booleans — that can change by mode.
Frontend
Refers to the user interface and visual elements of a digital product or website that users interact with directly. Frontend design is essential for creating an intuitive and engaging user experience.
Frontend Design
Focusing on the user interface and visual aspects of a product or system, ensuring a compelling and intuitive user experience. Frontend design involves creating layouts, visual elements, and interactive components that users interact with directly, emphasizing aesthetics, responsiveness, and accessibility.
Gamification
Incorporating game elements, such as points, rewards, or competitions, into non-game contexts to enhance user engagement and motivation. Gamification is used to make tasks more enjoyable, encourage user participation, and drive desired behaviors, fostering a sense of achievement and progression.
Golden Sample
The approved reference unit every production part is judged against.
HCI (Human-Computer Interaction)
The study of how users interact with computers and technology, focusing on improving the design of interfaces for optimal user experiences. HCI considers aspects such as user psychology, ergonomics, and usability to create interfaces that are intuitive, efficient, and aligned with users' cognitive processes.
Headless CMS
A content management system that stores content and serves it through an API, with no built-in front end.
IXD (Interaction Design)
A design discipline that focuses on creating meaningful and engaging interactions between users and digital interfaces. Interaction designers consider user behavior and feedback to optimize user experiences.
Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)
Static pages that quietly rebuild themselves in the background when they get stale.
Information Architecture
The organization and structuring of content and information to enhance the usability and findability of a product or system. Information architecture involves creating clear navigation, categorization, and labeling systems to improve user understanding and navigation within a digital environment.
Injection Moulding
Forcing molten plastic into a steel mould to make identical parts by the million.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
How quickly the page responds when you tap or click.
Iterative Design
An ongoing design process that involves repetitive cycles of prototyping, testing, and refining to continuously enhance and optimize the final product. This approach allows designers to respond to feedback, iterate quickly, and make improvements based on user insights and evolving requirements.
Jamstack
Building websites as pre-rendered files served from a CDN, with dynamic parts handled by APIs.
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)
Understanding what people are trying to accomplish, rather than who they are.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
How long until the biggest thing on the screen has loaded.
Lattice Structures
Repeating internal cells that make a part light, strong and impossible to mould.
Lighthouse Score
An automated audit that grades a page on performance, accessibility, best practice and SEO.
Looks-Like Prototype
A model that shows exactly how the product will appear, without working.
Micro-interactions
Small, contained moments of feedback — a toggle sliding, a heart filling, a button confirming.
Mockups
Detailed, high-fidelity representations of a design, incorporating visual elements, to showcase the intended look and feel of the final product. Mockups often include realistic images, colors, and typography, providing stakeholders with a visual understanding of the design's aesthetics and functionality.
Mood Boards
Collages of visual elements, including images, colors, and textures, to convey the intended aesthetics, mood, and style of a design. Mood boards serve as inspirational references for design teams, clients, and stakeholders, helping align expectations and visualize the desired emotional impact of a project.
Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)
HP's powder-bed 3D printing process: fast, strong nylon parts with no support structures.
North Star Metric
The one number that best captures the value a product delivers to its users.
Opportunity Solution Tree
A diagram connecting a business outcome to user needs to possible solutions to experiments.
Optimistic UI
Showing an action as done before the server confirms it.
Overmoulding
Moulding a second material onto a finished part — a soft grip over a hard handle.
Parametric Design
Designing with rules and relationships, so changing one value updates the whole model.
Pattern Library
Collection of design patterns for reuse.
Persona Development
Creating detailed fictional characters that represent different user types, aiding in understanding and designing for specific target audiences. Personas encapsulate demographic information, behaviors, and goals, helping design teams empathize with and cater to the needs of distinct user segments throughout the design process.
Pilot Run
A small production batch made on the real line to find problems before the big one.
Product-Led Growth
Letting the product itself acquire, convert and retain users, instead of a sales team.
Progressive Disclosure
Showing only what is needed now, and revealing the rest when it is asked for.
Prototyping
The creation of preliminary models or versions of a product to test and evaluate design concepts, functionalities, and user interactions. Prototypes can range from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity interactive models, providing tangible representations for user feedback and validation.
Rapid Prototyping
Quickly producing functional prototypes for testing and feedback, often using tools and technologies that expedite the development process. Rapid prototyping allows designers to iterate swiftly, validate design concepts, and gather early user insights, facilitating an agile and responsive design approach.
Reduced Motion
Respecting a person's system setting to turn down animation.
Resin Printing
3D printing by curing liquid resin with light, for fine detail and smooth surfaces.
Responsive Design
Designing digital interfaces that seamlessly adapt to various screen sizes and devices, providing a consistent user experience. Responsive design uses flexible layouts, images, and media queries to ensure optimal display on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices, enhancing accessibility and usability.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
Contractual agreement specifying service levels.
SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)
3D printing technique using a laser to sinter powdered material.
Screen Reader Testing
Using a product the way a blind person does — by listening to it — to find what breaks.
Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
Generating a page's HTML on the server for each request, so the browser receives it complete.
Skeleton Screen
A greyed-out outline of the page shown while the real content loads.
Static Site Generation (SSG)
Building every page of a site into finished HTML at deploy time.
Stereolithography (SLA)
3D printing technique using a liquid resin cured by a UV laser.
Storyboarding
Visually planning and representing the user journey or a sequence of events using illustrations or sketches, helping to convey design concepts and interactions. Storyboarding is often used in narrative-driven design to visualize user experiences, identify pain points, and communicate design ideas in a compelling and easy-to-understand format.
Style Guide
Document detailing design guidelines and standards.
Tolerance Analysis
Working out whether parts will still fit and function when each is slightly off its nominal size.
Tooling
The moulds, dies, jigs and fixtures a factory needs to make your part.
Topology Optimisation
Letting software remove every gram of material a part does not need to carry its load.
Usability Testing
Evaluating a product's user interface and experience to identify areas for improvement, ensuring a positive and intuitive interaction for users. Usability testing involves scenarios, tasks, and user feedback to assess ease of use, efficiency, and satisfaction, guiding design refinements for optimal usability.
User Testing
The systematic evaluation of a product or system by real users to identify usability issues, gather feedback, and make informed design improvements. User testing can involve tasks, scenarios, and observation to understand how users interact with the design and uncover areas for enhancement.
User-Centered Design
A design approach that prioritizes the end-users' needs and preferences throughout the entire product development lifecycle, ensuring a more user-friendly and satisfying experience. It involves methods such as user research, persona development, and iterative testing to align the design with user expectations.
Variable Fonts
A single font file containing a continuous range of weights, widths or other axes.
Versioning
Managing and tracking changes in a design system.
Visual Hierarchy
Organizing design elements to guide users' attention through the strategic use of color, contrast, size, and placement. Visual hierarchy ensures that users perceive information in a structured and meaningful way, prioritizing key elements and aiding in a clear and intuitive user experience.
WYSIWYG
(What You See Is What You Get) Editors displaying content as it will appe
Wireframing
The initial visual representation of a design, focusing on layout and structure, typically devoid of detailed design elements, to outline the basic framework. Wireframes serve as a blueprint for the overall design and help in early planning and communication of design ideas.
Works-Like Prototype
A model that proves the product functions, without looking like the final thing.
Design Principles
Aesthetic-Usability Effect
People perceive attractive things as easier to use, whether or not they are.
Balance
Achieves visual equilibrium by distributing elements and their visual weight throughout a composition.
Content-First
Start with the real words and images, and let the design serve them.
Contrast
Emphasizes differences between elements (e.g., color, size, type) to create visual interest and highlight important information.
Emphasis/Focal Point
Directs attention to a specific element or area to create a visual focal point and hierarchy.
Fitts's Law
The bigger and closer a target, the faster you can hit it.
Form Follows Function
Prioritizes the intended purpose or function of the design, influencing its overall form and aesthetics.
Graceful Degradation
Build for the best case, but make sure it still works when parts fail.
Hick's Law
The more choices you offer, the longer people take to decide.
Hierarchy
Organizes elements to establish a clear order of importance, guiding the viewer's eye through the design.
Jakob's Law
People expect your site to work like every other site they use.
Miller's Law
People can hold about seven things in working memory at once.
Mobile-First
Design the small screen first, then expand — because constraint clarifies.
Peak-End Rule
People judge an experience by its most intense moment and how it ended, not its average.
Progressive Enhancement
Build the basic experience to work everywhere, then layer on the better one where it is supported.
Proximity
Places related elements close together to visually connect them and establish relationships within the design.
Repetition/Consistency
Uses consistent visual elements throughout the design to create unity and reinforce the overall theme.
Unity
Creates a cohesive and harmonious design by ensuring that all elements work together as a whole.
White Space/Negative Space
Allows for empty or negative spaces around and between elements to enhance readability and focus.
Design Futures/Fiction
Anticipatory Design
A design approach focused on creating products and services that anticipate user needs and behavior, often by incorporating elements of foresight and prediction. Anticipatory design aims to provide seamless and intuitive experiences.
Attention Economy
The market in which products compete for, and profit from, human attention.
Augmented Humanity
Exploring the integration of technology to enhance human capabilities and experiences. Augmented humanity in speculative design examines how future technologies can positively impact human well-being and potential.
Backcasting
A method used in speculative design to envision a desired future state and then work backward to identify the steps and actions needed to achieve that future. Backcasting helps designers plan for and shape preferable futures.
Biohacking
The practice of DIY biology and genetic engineering, often within the context of speculative design. Biohacking explores the potential for individuals to modify and enhance their own biology using accessible technologies.
Calm Technology
Technology that informs without demanding attention.
Circular Design
Designing products so their materials keep circulating instead of becoming waste.
Critical Design
A form of design practice that uses design artifacts and interventions to critique and provoke discussion about societal, cultural, and technological issues. Critical design often challenges established norms and assumptions.
Dark Patterns
Interface tricks that manipulate people into doing things they did not mean to.
Degrowth Design
Designing for less production and consumption, on purpose.
Design Democracy
Enabling inclusive decision-making and participation in shaping future scenarios. Design democracy in speculative design emphasizes the importance of diverse voices and perspectives in co-creating desirable futures.
Design Ethnography
The study of people and cultures to understand their behaviors, values, and needs. Design ethnography is used in speculative design to ground future scenarios in a deep understanding of current social practices.
Design Fiction
A creative and narrative-driven approach to design that uses storytelling and speculative scenarios to explore and envision possible future designs and technologies. Design fiction helps designers and audiences engage with potential future outcomes.
Design Fiction Prototypes
Physical or digital prototypes created as part of a design fiction project. These prototypes embody speculative future technologies or products and serve as tangible artifacts to facilitate engagement and storytelling.
Design Provocations
Stimulating and thought-provoking design interventions or artifacts that are intentionally created to challenge existing norms, assumptions, and expectations. Design provocations encourage discussions about possible future trajectories.
Design Sprints for Futures
Adaptation of design sprint methodologies specifically tailored for exploring and ideating future scenarios. Design sprints for futures involve rapid ideation, prototyping, and validation to quickly explore and iterate on speculative design concepts.
Design for Resilience
Designing products, systems, and environments with the capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of uncertainty and changing conditions. Design for resilience is essential in anticipating and preparing for unforeseen challenges.
Digital Minimalism
Using technology deliberately and sparingly, and designing to support that.
Dystopian Design
A design approach that explores dark and negative future scenarios. Dystopian design challenges assumptions, raises awareness of potential pitfalls, and encourages critical reflection on the implications of emerging technologies.
Ethical Futures
Considering and addressing ethical implications and considerations in future design scenarios. Ethical futures explore how design decisions can impact individuals, societies, and the environment and seek to create responsible and sustainable futures.
Feminist Futures
A perspective in speculative design that considers and challenges gender norms, power structures, and inequalities in envisioning alternative futures. Feminist futures explore how design can contribute to more equitable and inclusive societies.
Futurecasting
The practice of envisioning and forecasting potential future scenarios and trends to inform present-day decision-making. Futurecasting helps designers anticipate changes and design solutions that are future-proof.
Participatory Futures
Involving stakeholders, users, or communities in the co-creation of future scenarios and designs. Participatory futures ensure diverse perspectives and enhance the relevance and acceptance of speculative design outcomes.
Post-Crisis Design
Designing solutions and scenarios that address and recover from societal, environmental, or technological crises. Post-crisis design in speculative contexts explores ways to rebuild and create more resilient futures.
Post-Digital
Design that treats the digital as ordinary and returns attention to the physical and human.
Posthuman Design
A design philosophy that considers the evolving relationship between humans and technology, exploring design possibilities beyond traditional human-centered perspectives. Posthuman design may involve the integration of technology with the human body or the creation of non-human-centric design solutions.
Regenerative Design
Designing systems that give back more than they take.
Slow Technology
Technology designed to be reflected on rather than used efficiently.
Solarpunk
A hopeful vision of the future where technology and ecology thrive together.
Speculative Design
A design approach that uses speculative scenarios and provocations to explore alternative futures, challenge assumptions, and stimulate discussions about societal values and technological impacts. Speculative design often involves creating tangible artifacts or narratives.
Utopian Design
A design approach that imagines idealized and positive future scenarios. Utopian design explores optimistic visions of the future and seeks to inspire positive change and innovation.
AI & Emerging Tech
3D Photography
Capturing a real object or space as a 3D model you can move around, not a flat image.
AI-Native Design
Designing a product around what a model can do, rather than bolting AI onto an existing interface.
Agentic UX
Interfaces for AI that takes actions on your behalf, not just answers questions.
Algorithmic Bias
When an automated system treats groups of people unfairly because of what it learned from.
Ambient Computing
Technology that works in the background of a space, without a screen to attend to.
Conversational UI
An interface you use by talking or typing in natural language.
Deepfake Ethics
The responsibilities that come with being able to fabricate a convincing likeness of a real person.
Digital Twin
A live digital model of a real product, building or system, kept in sync with the physical one.
Explainable AI (XAI)
AI whose decisions can be understood and questioned by a person.
Gaussian Splatting
A way of rendering a captured scene as millions of tiny coloured blobs, fast enough to explore in real time.
Generative Design
Letting software explore thousands of possible forms against your constraints, then choosing from the results.
Generative UI
Interfaces assembled by an AI at runtime to fit the task in front of the user.
Haptic Design
Designing what a product feels like in the hand — vibration, texture, resistance.
Human-in-the-Loop
A system where a person reviews or approves what the AI does before it counts.
LLM (Large Language Model)
An AI model trained on vast amounts of text to understand and generate language.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open standard for connecting AI models to tools and data.
Mixed Reality (MR)
Digital objects that appear to share your physical space and respond to it.
NeRF (Neural Radiance Fields)
A neural network that learns a 3D scene from photos and can render it from any new viewpoint.
Photogrammetry
Building a 3D model from many overlapping photographs of the same object.
Prompt Engineering
Writing instructions to an AI model so it produces what you actually need.
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
Giving an AI model the right documents to read before it answers.
Spatial Computing
Computing that understands and uses the physical space around you.
Synthetic Media
Images, video, voice or text generated by AI rather than captured or written by a person.
Vibe Coding
Building software by describing what you want to an AI and steering the result, rather than writing every line.
Voice UI
An interface you operate by speaking to it.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
CMS (Content Management System)
Software that allows users to create, manage, and modify digital content on a website without requiring technical expertise. CMS simplifies the process of content creation and maintenance.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
A strategy and technology for managing a company's interactions with current and future customers. CRM systems help organizations improve customer relationships and retention.
CTA (Call to Action)
A prompt or instruction designed to encourage users to take a specific action, such as clicking a button or completing a form. CTAs are crucial for guiding user interactions.
DFM (Design for Manufacturing)
A design approach that considers the manufacturing processes and constraints from the early stages of product development. DFM aims to optimize efficiency and reduce production costs.
DFT (Design for Testability)
A design methodology that focuses on ensuring that products are easily testable during the manufacturing process. DFT facilitates efficient testing and quality control.
DFX (Design for Excellence)
A collective term encompassing various design methodologies, such as DFM, DFT, and other "Design for X" principles. DFX aims to optimize products for various criteria, including manufacturing, testing, and sustainability.
DTP (Desktop Publishing)
Involves the creation and layout of content for print or digital publications. DTP uses graphic design software to produce visually appealing documents.
ED (Experience Design)
Encompasses the design of experiences across various touchpoints, including digital and physical interactions. Experience design aims to create meaningful and memorable user experiences.
GD (Graphic Design)
The art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences through visual and textual content. Graphic design involves creating visual communication to convey messages effectively.
ID (Industrial Design)
Focuses on the design and aesthetics of products, emphasizing form, function, and user experience. Industrial designers create products that are both visually appealing and practical.
KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
A design principle advocating simplicity and avoidance of unnecessary complexity. KISS suggests that simplicity leads to better usability and user satisfaction.
MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
The earliest version of a product with the minimum features required to meet customer needs. MVP is released to gather user feedback and validate assumptions before further development.
OKR (Objectives and Key Results)
A goal-setting framework: an ambitious objective, measured by a few concrete results.
PD (Product Design)
The process of creating and developing a product, considering aspects such as functionality, aesthetics, and user experience. Product design aims to meet user needs and market demands.
PRD (Product Requirements Document)
The document that says what a product must do and why, before anyone builds it.
ROI (Return on Investment)
A measure of the profitability of an investment, indicating the return relative to its cost. In design, ROI is used to assess the impact and effectiveness of design projects.
SDK (Software Development Kit)
A bundle of tools, libraries and documentation for building on a platform.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Making a site easy for search engines to find, understand and rank.
UX/UI (User Experience/User Interface)
Refers to the combined field of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design, ensuring a cohesive and user-friendly interaction between users and digital interfaces.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
The international standard for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.