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Stay fluent in the vocabulary our judges, designers, and developers use every day. The glossary brings together the patterns, principles, and metrics that define best-in-class digital experiences.
Curated terminology sourced from the Web Design Awards knowledge base.
Definitions enriched with context, examples, or judging criteria.
Entries with tailored headings that spotlight when a term matters most.
Jump to any letter to explore connected concepts in seconds.
Search for specific terminology or jump straight to the letter you need. Definitions include editorial insights from the Web Design Awards archive.
Showing all 96 terms
Terms that begin with the letter A.
What is A/B Testing
A method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app to see which one performs better.
What is Accessibility
Designing websites and applications accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
What is Affinity Diagram
A color scheme involving three colors equally spaced around the color wheel, providing vibrant contrasts.
What is Affordance
A design feature that suggests how an object should be used.
What is Alignment
The arrangement of elements to line up in a straight line or grid to create order and alignment.
What is Analogous Color Scheme
A color scheme that uses colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
What is Augmented Reality (AR)
An interactive experience of a real-world environment where objects are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information.
Terms that begin with the letter B.
What is Baseline Grid
A horizontal guideline used to align text.
What is Biometric Authentication
Security process that uses biological characteristics to verify individuals.
What is Breadcrumbs
Navigation links that allow users to track their path from the page they are currently viewing to the home page.
Terms that begin with the letter C.
What is Call to Action (CTA)
A button or link placed on a webpage encouraging users to take an action.
What is Card Sorting
A user experience research technique where participants organize topics into categories.
What is Color Contrast
The difference in luminance or color that makes an object distinguishable.
What is Color Palette
A selection of colors that are used consistently throughout a design.
What is Content Strategy
The planning, creation, and management of content.
What is Contextual Inquiry
A research method used to understand the context of a user's interactions with products.
What is Contrast Ratio
The ratio of the luminance of the bright color to the dark color in web design.
What is Conversion Rate
The percentage of visitors who take the desired action.
What is CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
A style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in HTML.
Terms that begin with the letter D.
What is Dark Pattern
User interface design choices that trick users into taking actions they might not otherwise choose.
What is Data Visualization
The representation of data in a visual context, like a chart or map, to help users understand patterns and trends.
What is Design Sprint
A time-constrained process where a team collaborates to answer critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas.
What is Design System
A comprehensive set of standards for design and UI components across a project.
What is Design Thinking
A methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems.
Terms that begin with the letter E.
What is Empathy Map
A visual representation used to understand the attitudes and behaviors of users.
What is Ethnography
The study of people in their natural environment through observation and interviews to understand their experiences and behaviors.
What is Experience Design
The practice of designing products, processes, services, events, and environments with a focus placed on the quality of the user experience.
Terms that begin with the letter F.
What is F-Layout
A web page layout that places the most important information at the top where users tend to look first.
What is Favicon
A small, iconic image that represents a website in browser tabs.
What is Fidelity (in prototypes)
The degree to which a design is detailed and realistic.
What is Fixed Navigation
A navigation bar that sticks to the top of the screen as users scroll down.
What is Flat Design
A style of interface design emphasizing minimal use of stylistic elements.
What is Focus State
An interactive design element that indicates a clickable area, often changing appearance when hovered over.
What is Font Pairing
The practice of selecting and pairing typefaces to complement the design.
Terms that begin with the letter G.
What is Gamification
The application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts to improve user engagement and problem-solving.
What is Gestalt Principles
Psychological principles that describe how humans perceive patterns.
What is Gesture Recognition
The ability of a device to interpret physical movements as commands.
What is Grid System
A structure made up of vertical and horizontal lines that help to organize content.
Terms that begin with the letter H.
What is Haptic Feedback
Technology that recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user.
What is Heuristic Evaluation
A usability inspection method for identifying usability problems in a user interface design.
What is Hierarchy
The arrangement or presentation of elements in a way that implies importance.
What is Hover State
The visual change that occurs when a user places their cursor over an element.
What is HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
The standard language for creating web pages and web applications.
Terms that begin with the letter I.
What is Iconography
The use of symbols to represent information and actions in a design.
What is Information Architecture
The structural design of information to improve usability and findability.
What is Information Overload
A state of having too much information to make a decision or remain informed about a topic.
What is Interaction Design
The creation of digital environments that facilitate user interaction.
What is Interface Elements
Components of a user interface, such as buttons and icons.
Terms that begin with the letter J.
Terms that begin with the letter K.
Terms that begin with the letter L.
Terms that begin with the letter M.
What is Material Design
A design language developed by Google, emphasizing paper-like visual qualities and animations.
What is Microinteractions
Small user interactions that enhance the user experience, like a button animation.
What is Minimalism
A design approach that emphasizes simplicity and the removal of superfluous elements.
What is Mobile-First Design
The practice of designing a website for smaller screens first, then adding more features for larger screens.
What is Mood Board
A visual tool consisting of images and colors that represent a project's style.
Terms that begin with the letter N.
What is Natural Language Processing (NLP)
A branch of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand, interpret, and respond to human language in a valuable way.
What is Navigation Patterns
Conventional methods for designing website navigation.
What is Negative Space
Empty space around design elements, helping to separate and group items.
Terms that begin with the letter O.
Terms that begin with the letter P.
What is Persona
A semi-fictional character based on research to represent a user type.
What is Personalization
The process of customizing user experiences to meet individual needs based on specific data.
What is Pixel Density
The number of pixels in a digital image or display.
What is Predictive Analytics
The use of data and statistical algorithms to predict future outcomes based on historical data.
What is Prototype
A preliminary model of a product used to demonstrate or test design concepts.
Terms that begin with the letter Q.
What is Qualitative Research
Research that seeks to understand user behavior, preferences, and perceptions through observation and interviews.
What is Quantitative Research
The systematic investigation of users and their requirements, in order to add context and insight into the design process.
Terms that begin with the letter R.
Terms that begin with the letter S.
What is Sans Serif
A design pattern for user interfaces that presents information in cards (e.g., Pinterest).
What is Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
Reducing information into smaller, digestible chunks to help users process, understand, and remember it more easily.
What is Scrolling Patterns
The amount of mental effort required to operate a user interface, ideally minimized in good design.
What is Serif
A set of rules regarding how colors interact and their psychological effects.
What is Skeuomorphism
Colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel, offering strong visual contrast.
What is Style Guide
A user interface style that uses dark background colors with light text, often used to reduce eye strain.
Terms that begin with the letter T.
Terms that begin with the letter U.
What is UI (User Interface)
Ten principles for good design articulated by the influential industrial designer, emphasizing simplicity and functionality.
What is UI Kit
The measurement of where and how users look at a page or screen, used to assess visual attention.
What is Usability
A concept from ergonomics stating that the time required to move to a target area is a function of the distance and the size of the target.
What is User Flow
An arrangement of content into columns and rows, which helps to structure and organize information visually.
What is User Journey
The prominent, large banner image or block at the top of a website or webpage.
What is User Research
Adapting Maslow's hierarchy to prioritize user needs from basic functional to higher-level psychological and self-fulfillment needs.
What is User Stories
An interactive representation of the final product used for testing and evaluation.
What is User-Centered Design
A smooth transition between colors, often used to add visual interest or highlight elements.
What is UX (User Experience)
Design methodology focused on the preferences, behaviors, and needs of the end-user.
Terms that begin with the letter V.
What is Vector Graphics
Clues in the design that hint at what elements can do, such as buttons designed to look pushable.
What is Virtual Reality (VR)
An immersive digital environment that users can interact with in a seemingly real or physical way.
What is Visual Hierarchy
Design technique creating a three-dimensional look on a flat surface, often used in illustrations and UI elements.
What is Visual Weight
Principles and guidelines that serve as a foundation for good user experience design.
What is Voice User Interface (VUI)
Interaction with a computer interface via spoken commands.
Terms that begin with the letter W.
Terms that begin with the letter Z.
Terms that begin with the letter symbol.