Write to me at
martin@uxlexicon.com
Copyright © 2026 UXlexicon.
All rights reserved.
A
A/B Testing
/eɪ biː ˈtɛstɪŋ/
Comparing two versions of a design or web page to see which one performs better.
Similar
Accessibility
/ækˌsɛsəˈbɪlɪti/
Designing products to be usable by people with the widest range possible of abilities, within the widest range possible of situations.
Similar
Accent
/ˈæksənt/
Referring to color, typography, or other design elements used to draw attention to particular parts of a design.
Similar
Affordance
/əˈfɔːrdəns/
Characteristics of an object that hint at how it should be used intuitively.
Similar
Alignment
/əˈlaɪnmənt/
Basic design principle that dictates how elements should be lined up to create clean, efficient, and visually appealing designs.
Similar
Auto Layout
/ˈɔːtoʊˈleɪaʊt/
A feature in design programs (e.g., Figma) that automatically resizes and/or arranges elements according to defined rules.
Similar
B
Bootstrap
/ˈboʊtˌstræp/
One of the most popular HTML, CSS and JS frameworks for developing responsive web pages and apps.
Similar
Button
/ˈbʌtn/
Interactive design element that guides users towards a particular interaction or command.
Similar
C
Call to action
/kɔːl tuː ækʃən/
Design element that prompts a user to take a specific action.
Similar
CMYK
/siːɛmwaɪkeɪ/
Short for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), a color model used in color printing.
Similar
Cognitive load
/ˈkɒgnɪtɪv loʊd/
Amount of mental processing power needed to use a product.
Similar
Component
/kəmˈpoʊnənt/
Stand-alone elements of a design that can be reused across multiple pages or screens.
Similar
Competitive analysis
/kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv əˈnalɪsɪs/
Analysis of competitors that helps designers understand industry standards and identify opportunities for the product to stand out.
Similar
Customer Experience
/ˈkʌstəmər ɪkˈspɪəriəns/
The entirety of interactions a customer has with a company.
Similar
Customer Journey
/ˈkʌstəmər ˈdʒɜːrni/
Narrative of a user's experience with a product, from initial contact to final interaction.
Similar
D
Dark pattern
/dɑːrk ˈpætərn/
A deceptive UX technique that tricks users into taking actions they wouldn't normally choose.
Similar
Data Analysis
/ˈdeɪtə əˈnalɪsɪs/
Process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data to discover useful information which informs conclusions and decision-making.
Similar
Design sprint
/dɪˈzaɪn sprɪnt/
A five-step method for solving big problems and testing new ideas, borrowing elements from design thinking.
Similar
Design system
/dɪˈzaɪn ˈsɪstəm/
A collection of reusable components, guided by clear standards, that allows for many different teams to design and develop in harmony.
Similar
Design thinking
/dɪˈzaɪn ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/
A problem-solving approach that encourages a focal point on the user, creativity in ideation, iterative prototyping, and testing in real-world contexts.
Similar
Desk research
/dɛsk rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/
Gathering and analyzing information that is already available to answer your research questions.
Similar
Double diamond
/ˈdʌbl ˈdaɪəmənd/
A four-phase model of the design process — Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver — that alternates between exploring widely and focusing down.
Similar
E
Effectiveness
/ɪˈfɛktɪvnəs/
In usability, how completely and accurately users achieve their goals with a product — one of the three core measures of usability.
Similar
F
Facilitator
/fəˈsɪlɪteɪtər/
The person who guides a research session or workshop — asking questions and keeping things on track without leading participants.
Similar
Field research
/fiːld rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/
Collecting original data directly, typically through interviews, observations or surveys in a natural or real-world environment.
Similar
Figma
/ˈfɪgmə/
A vector-based tool developed primarily for user interface and UX design, but also used for creating other types of digital graphics.
Similar
Fold
/foʊld/
The point on a web page where content is cut off before the user scrolls — whatever is visible first is “above the fold”.
Similar
G
Gradient
/ˈgreɪdiənt/
A gradual blend of two or more colors or different levels of light and dark.
Similar
Grid
/grɪd/
A system of intersecting lines (vertical, horizontal, and angular) used to structure content in a design.
Similar
H
Heatmap
/ˈhiːtmæp/
A visual overlay that uses colour to show where users click, move or look most on a page.
Similar
Hero section
/ˈhiroʊ ˈsɛkʃən/
The major section placed at the top of a webpage, often containing key content aimed towards the first engagement of a user.
Similar
High fidelity
/haɪ fɪˈdɛlɪti/
Represents a product's design at a detail level close to completion, providing a realistic view of its functionality.
Similar
How might we
/haʊ maɪt wiː/
A way of reframing problems as short, optimistic “How might we…” questions that open up ideation without prescribing a solution.
Similar
Human-centered design
/ˈhjuːmənˈsɛntərd dɪˈzaɪn/
A creative approach to problem solving that starts with people and ends with innovative solutions tailored to their needs.
Similar
I
Information architecture
/ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən ˈɑːrkɪˌtɛktʃər/
The art and science of organizing and labeling websites and apps to support usability, discoverability, and effective communication.
Similar
Icon font
/ˈaɪkɒn fɒnt/
A font whose “letters” are scalable vector icons, so symbols can be sized and coloured with CSS like text.
Similar
K
Kerning
/ˈkɜːrnɪŋ/
The process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, often to achieve a visually pleasing result.
Similar
L
Landing page
/ˈlændɪŋ peɪdʒ/
A standalone web page distinct from the main website that has been designed for a single focused objective.
Similar
Leading
/ˈlɛdɪŋ/
The space between lines of type, which can affect readability. It's typically measured from baseline to baseline.
Similar
Lean UX
/liːn juː ɛks/
A user-experience-centered methodology that consists of a constant cycle of designing, testing and iterating upon a product.
Similar
Lorem Ipsum
/ˈloʊrəm ˈɪpsʊm/
Placeholder, 'dummy' or 'greeking' text that's used in publishing and design to fill up space and visualize what real content would look like.
Similar
Low fidelity
/loʊ fɪˈdɛlɪti/
Refers to the level of details in a design prototype or concept, often offering a bare-bones presentation of key ideas.
Similar
M
Mental model
/ˈmɛntəl ˈmɑːdəl/
A person’s internal belief about how a system works, built from past experience — which a product should match to feel intuitive.
Similar
Mockup
/ˈmɑːkʌp/
A model or replica of a machine, structure or system used for instructional or experimental purposes.
Similar
P
Paper prototyping
/ˈpeɪpər ˈproʊtəˌtaɪpɪŋ/
A method where designers replicate an interface using paper and pen, in order to get feedback and make early usability evaluations.
Similar
Persona
/pərˈsoʊnə/
Fictional characters created to represent different user types that might use a product/service in a similar way.
Similar
Prototype
/ˈproʊtəˌtaɪp/
An early sample, model, or release of a product built for testing a concept or process.
Similar
Q
Qualitative user test
/kwɒˈlɪtətɪv ˈjuːzər tɛst/
A testing method that uses a small number of respondents to gain insights into behavior patterns and users’ opinions of a product.
Similar
Quantitative user test
/ˈkwɒntɪtətɪv ˈjuːzər tɛst/
A testing method that relies on statistics and measurements using a larger number of respondents to provide insights into user behavior.
Similar
R
Rapid prototyping
/ˈræpɪd ˈproʊtəˌtaɪpɪŋ/
The practice of quickly creating low-fidelity versions of a product to test ideas and gather feedback early, before investing in polished design or code.
Similar
Raster
/ˈræstər/
Images made up of individual colored pixels that together create a picture.
Similar
Responsive design
/rɪˈspɒnsɪv dɪˈzaɪn/
An approach to design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes.
Similar
RGB
/ɑːrdʒiːbiː/
A color model used mainly for digital purposes, that combines red, green, and blue light in various ways to reproduce a wide array of colors.
Similar
S
Sans Serif Font
/ˈsænz ˈserɪf fɒnt/
A style of typeface that lacks the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes.
Similar
Scrum
/skrʌm/
An agile framework for delivering work in short, repeatable cycles called sprints, with defined roles and ceremonies.
Similar
SEO
/ˌɛs iː ˈoʊ/
The practice of improving a site so it ranks higher in search-engine results and attracts more relevant visitors.
Similar
Serif Font
/ˈsɛrɪf fɒnt/
A style of typeface that includes small lines or strokes attached to larger strokes in characters and symbols.
Similar
T
Test participant
/tɛst pɑːrˈtɪsɪpənt/
A person recruited to represent real users while trying out a product in a usability test.
Similar
Tracking
/ˈtrækɪŋ/
In typography, it refers to the amount of space between a group of letters to affect density in a line or block of text.
Similar
U
Usability heuristics
/ˌjuːzəˈbɪlɪti hjʊəˈrɪstɪks/
A set of ten broad principles for interaction design, defined by Jakob Nielsen, used to spot usability problems in a user interface.
Similar
Usability testing
/juːˌzeɪbɪˈlɪti tɛstɪŋ/
The process of evaluating a product or system's usability by having real users perform specific tasks and studying their interactions.
Similar
User Experience
/ˈjuːzər ɪkˈspɪəriəns/
The overall experience a user has with a product, system, or service, including its ease of use and how pleasing it is to use.
Similar
User Interface
/ˈjuːzər ˈɪntərfeɪs/
The series of screens, pages, buttons, and other visual elements that enable a person to interact with a product or service.
Similar
User flow
/ˈjuːzər floʊ/
A representation of the path a user can follow, either linear or non-linear, to complete a task within a product.
Similar
User pain points
/ˈjuːzər peɪn pɔɪnts/
The issues that users encounter that prevent them from accomplishing their goals with a product.
Similar
UX research
/juː ɛks rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/
The practice of studying users — their needs, behaviours and context — to ground design decisions in evidence rather than assumptions.
Similar
V
Value proposition canvas
/ˈvæljuː ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃən ˈkænvəs/
A framework that maps what customers need against what a product offers, to check that the two actually fit.
Similar
Vector
/ˈvɛktər/
Graphics made from mathematical curves and points, which retain their sharpness regardless of how much they are resized.
Similar
Vertical Rhythm
/ˈvɜːrtɪkəl ˈrɪðəm/
A concept in typography that involves the arrangement of text in a way that makes the flow of reading more comfortable.
Similar
W
WCAG
/ˈwɪkæɡ/
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – an international standard for making digital content usable by people with disabilities.
Similar
White Space
/ˈwaɪt speɪs/
The unmarked space between different elements of a design.
Similar
Wireframe
/ˈwaɪərˌfreɪm/
A two-dimensional illustration of a webpage's interface, often used to plan the layout and functionality of a site.
