A generally acceptable

amount of time for a user

to wait for certain system
2-second rule :
responses such as an
application launch or
switch.
The theory that users will
abandon a website if they
3-click rule : are unable to complete
their task within 3 mouse
clicks.
Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act was
enacted to eliminate
barriers in information
technology, to make
508 : available new
opportunities for people
with disabilities, and to
encourage development of
technologies that will help
achieve these goals.
 Under Section 508 (29
U.S.C. 794d), Federal
Agencies must give
disabled employees and
members of the public
access to information that
is comparable to the
access available to others.
Based on the Pareto
principle, applied to any
website, web app, or
software environment tells
us that 20% of the
80/20 rule : functionality and features
in any one environment
will be responsible for 80%
of the results, or actions
taken within that
environment.
Determining which of two
A/B Testing : alternatives is better
received by the target
 audience.

A standard dialog box that

provides the credits and
About Box :
revision information of
computer software.
The region of a Web page
that is visible without
scrolling. The area above
Above the
the fold will vary according
fold [or
: to a user's monitor size
Above-the-fol
and their resolution
d]
settings. The region above
the fold is called a
screenful.
Usually combinations of
characters that allow users
to make software
Accelerator
: commands instead of
keys
interacting with menu
options or different levels
of a user interface, also
 known as keyboard
shortcuts.

Consideration for the

number of acceptable
errors in an experiment; a
Acceptable
smaller margin of error
margin of :
indicates trustworthy
error
results and a larger margin
of error means the results
are less consistent.
The measure of a web
page's usability by persons
Accessibility :
with one or more
disabilities.
A control that allows the
selection of multiple items
Accumulator :
from a list into a new
functional group.
 Interviewing technique in
which the interviewer pays
attention, shows
Active
: acknowledgement, and
listening
provides feedback to
encourage the
conversation.
Active voice makes
subjects do something (to
something). For example,
Active voice :
in "Jill selected the link,"
the verb "selected" is in the
active voice.
Embedded or in-page links
Ad hoc
: that are more editorial than
navigation
architectural.
When a control behaves
Affordance : as its appearance
suggests.
ALT text or An attribute used in HTML
Alternative : and XHTML documents to
text provide a short description
 of an image.

Short text used described

Alternative
: images---usually 125
Text
characters or less.
Overanalyzing or
overthinking a situation or
Analysis
: subject to the point that
paralysis
decision making is
delayed.
Analytics : See Web analytics
Anchor links can be used
on content pages that
contain several (usually
three or more) screenfuls
of information. Anchor
Anchor links : links allow users to skip
through textual
information, resulting in a
more efficient
information-finding
process. Anchor links are
 best arranged as a table of
contents for the page. See
also "Within-page links."
Also known as jump links.
A simulation of movement
Animation : by the rapid appearance of
images in sequence.
Smoothing the jagged
appearance of diagonal
lines in a bitmapped
image. The pixels that
surround the edges of the
Anti-aliasing : line are changed to varying
shades of gray or color in
order to blend the sharp
edge into the background.
This technique is also
called "dithering."
Small add on program that
runs one specific task
Applet :
within the scope of a larger
application. Example A
 mini-software program that
a Java- or Active
X-enabled browser
downloads and uses
automatically.
Technologies (software or
hardware) that increase,
maintain, or improve the
Assistive functional capabilities of
:
technologies individuals with disabilities
when interacting with
computers or
computer-based systems.
Web browsers that
Audio provides a text-to-speech
:
browsers capability for the blind and
visually impaired.
A feature that helps finish
what a user is typing by
Auto-complet
: predicting what the user
e
wants to input based on
previous or popular
 entries.

A Web site feature

whereby the data entry
cursor automatically
moves from one entry field
to the next as a user
enters a pre-determined
number of characters. For
instance, when entering
phone number data in
three separate entry fields
Auto-tabbing :
of three digits, three digits,
four digits, the data entry
cursor would auto-tab from
the first field to the second
field once the user has
entered three digits, and
again from the second field
to the third field once the
user has entered another
three digits.
 Images, pictures or
patterns that appear
Background
: behind graphical user
images
interface elements on a
web page.
Banners are graphic
images that commonly
function as Web-based
billboards. Banner ads
Banner : generally appear toward
the top-center of the
screen, and are used as
attention-grabbing links to
other sites.
Testing against a set of
Benchmark
: standard best practices or
testing
past performance metrics.
An image that follows a
Bitmapped : pattern of square shaped
pixels.
A list of saved links stored
Bookmarks :
by a Web browser.
 An unbounded field is a
Bounded free form entry field, a
field/Unbound : bounded field sets the
ed field parameters for selection or
entry for the user.
Machines that convert text
Braille on a screen to braille by
:
terminal raising bumps through
holes on a flat surface.
Breadcrumbs are a
navigation element that
allows users to orient
themselves within a Web
site, or efficiently move to
one of the intermediate
Breadcrumbs : pages. Breadcrumbs are
usually placed near the top
of the page (generally
immediately beneath the
browser's address bar).
For example, if users are
reading about the features
 and benefits of "widget x,"
breadcrumbs might show
the following information:
Home > Products > Widget
x > Features/Benefits
Breadcrumbs allow users
to find their way to the
homepage
The ability of an Internet
browser to properly
Browser interpret the code that
:
compatibility makes up web pages
since there is slight
variation between each.
A computer program that
Bug-tracking
: is intended to detect and
system
repair programming errors.
The art of adding captions
Captioning : to a television program or
movie.
 A textual representation of
sounds--usually
associated with television
programming or movies;
Captions : captions are meant to
display in real time and to
capture speech sounds
and sounds beyond
speech in some cases.
A method used to identify
categories that are
inherent in a set of items.
The goal of card sorting is
to understand how a
typical user views a given
Card sorting
: set of items. Card sorting
or Card sort
can be done manually by
writing items on individual
paper cards, and then
asking users to group
together similar cards.
This also can be done
 using many different
software systems. The
grouping information from
all card sorters is then
combined and analyzed
using cluster analysis
software. See Also Open &
Closed Card Sort
A menu structure where
submenus open when the
user selects a choice from
Cascading
: a menu. Cascading menus
menu
are particularly useful in
hierarchically-complex
Web sites.
Code that defines how to
display HTML elements in
Cascading externalstyle sheets that
style sheets : enable you to change the
(CSS) appearance and layout of
all the pages in a Web site
by editing one single file.
 Analysis of a group,
person or event to explore
Case Study :
causation or determine
underlying principles.
A control element that a
user can click to turn an
option on or off. When the
option is on, an X or 3
Check box : appears in the box. Check
boxes are conventionally
used when users may
select one or more items
from a list of items.
A visual indication that a
given word or item on a
Web page is clickable.
Clickability Cues that can be used to
:
cues indicate the clickability of
an item include color,
underlining, bullets, and
arrows.
 Occurring on the client
side of a client-server
system. JavaScript scripts
are client-side because
Client-side : they are executed by the
user's browser (the client).
In contrast, CGI scripts are
server-side because they
run on the Web server.
A card sort exercise where
participants are grouping
Closed Card content topics or "cards"
:
Sort into predefined categories.
[See Card Sort and Open
Card Sort]
The amount of mental
Cognitive
: effort it takes to
load
understand something.
An inspection method for
Cognitive evaluating the design of a
:
walkthrough user interface, with special
attention to how well the
 interface supports
exploratory learning, i.e.,
first-time use without
formal training. The
evaluation is done by
having a group of
evaluators go step-by-step
through commonly used
tasks. It can be performed
by evaluators in the early
stages of design, before
performance testing is
possible.
Inviting end users to work
Collaborative with designers and
:
design researchers to provide and
feedback on design ideas.
How many colors a
computer screen can
Color depth :
display, based on the
number of bits per pixel.
 An assessment of the
Competitor relative strengths or
:
analysis weaknesses of competitor
products or organizations.
A combination of
qualitative and quantitative
Concept
: methods of gathering user
testing
responses to a new
product.
Selective thinking in which
one has the tendency to
Confirmation search for or interpret
:
bias information that coincides
with their existing beliefs or
ideas.
The maximum rate at
which Web pages are
downloaded to a user's
Connection
: computer. Connection
speed
speed is often quoted in
bps (bits per second).
Common connection
 speeds include dial-up
(modem) at 56,000 bps,
DSL/cable at 500,000 bps
or higher, and T1 at
1,500,000 bps or higher.
A Web page designed to
convey specific
information to a user.
Content pages are often
found two or three clicks
deep within a Web site.
Content page : The defining characteristic
of a content page is a
reliance on text, graphics,
and pictures that are
designed to convey
information on a given
subject to users.
The influence that
environmental factors
Context effect :
have on users' perception
of a stimulus.
 A method for determining
the salient characteristics
of an application by
collecting and analyzing
Context of
: detailed information about
use analysis
the intended users, their
tasks, and the technical
and environmental
constraints.
A research study that
observes how users
Contextual
: interact with equipment
inquiry
and interfaces in their own
environment.
In a Web context,
continuous text comprises
Continuous
: sentences and
text
paragraphs. See also
Prose Text.
Percentage of visitors that
Conversion
: complete a targeted
rate
transaction online
 Informal or ad hoc test or
Corridor
: solicitation to gain quick
testing
user feedback or data
A method of gathering
facts (incidents) from
Critical domain experts or less
Incident experienced users of the
:
Technique existing system identify
(CIT) possible sources of
serious user-system or
interface difficulties
Cross check Quality assurance
(cross-validati : technique that compares
on) two or more field inputs.
Descriptive links used to
house extensive
D-Links :
descriptions for complex
figures.
A visually well-defined
Data entry
: location on a page where
field
users may type data.
 An information mapping
Decision table : method that tables
complicated logic
Hypertext link to a page on
Deep linking : a Web site other than its
home page
A measure of the
percentage of the screen
Density, page :
that is filled with text and
graphics.
An assessment of a
website's functions and
Design elements correspondence
:
validation as identified initially with
the design and the end
user?s actual needs.
An assessment of the
Design interface's
:
verification correspondence with the
design that was defined
Destination The location in a Web site
:
page where a given user goes
 after clicking on a link.
[See also Target page or
Landing Page]
Research method that
involves providing
participants with the
materials and structure to
record daily events, tasks
Diary Study :
and perceptions around a
given subject in order to
gain insight into their
behaviour and needs over
time.
The feedback that comes
from a face-to-face
Direct user
: research method such as
data
a one on one interview or
focus group.
Disability : A limitation in an ability
Download The amount of time
:
time required for a requested
 page to fully appear on a
user's screen.
Screen-based controls in
which one list item shows,
and the remaining list
items are hidden until
users click on a
Drop-down downward-facing arrow.
:
list Drop-down lists allow
designers to preserve
screen real estate while
maintaining the ability to
present a full suite of
options to users.
A user who has a
Early tendency to embrace new
:
adoptors technology before the
majority.
A term for links that are
dynamically positioned on
Editorial links :
top-level pages of a site
depending on the
 promotional needs of the
site.

Measure or description of
Effective : how accurately a goal can
be accomplished.
Measure or description of
Efficiency : how quickly and easily a
goal can be accomplished.
A link that is found in the
middle of prose or
continuous text.
Embedded Embedded links are often
:
link used to provide users with
the definitions of terms or
to lead them to supporting
or related information.
Refers to those people
who use a website or
End Users : those who are participants
or subjects of research
studies.
 Capturing the user's
Engaging or attention or interest or
:
Engagement maintaining their
interaction.
The entry field, which is
also known as a data or
text entry field, is
employed when users are
Entry field :
required to make text or
data entries, including
keywords, commands,
quantities, etc.
A snapshot of the external
Environmenta circumstances of users
:
l profile that may impact the pursuit
of their interaction goals.
A part of task analysis that
identifies the frequency
Error analysis : and type of errors that
occur for each specified
set of task flows.
 An error in which a user
Error of
: attempts to complete a
commission
task incorrectly.
An error in which a user
Error of
: misses a specific task or
omission
step.
Frequency in which errors
Error rate : occur in a given time
period.
The ability for a user to
Error correct and continue to
:
recovery pursue their goal or
complete a task.
Ethnography, A holistic qualitative study
or of users in the context of
:
ethnographic their actual environment
research over a period of time.
Multidisciplinary approach
to technology involving
Experience
: information architecture,
architecture
interaction design and
experience design
 practices that aim to
provide a good user
experience and benefit
business.
Expert
evaluation or : See Heuristic evaluation.
Expert review
Links that navigate a user
External links :
to an external web page.
Specialized hardware &
software which track users'
Eyetracking point of vision on an
or Eye : interface to understand
Tracking where their visual attention
is focused while viewing
an interface.
Collaborative session that
facilitates communication
Facilitated between developers and
:
workshops users to discuss aspects of
an impending interface,
also known as a Joint
 Advisory Development
(JAD) session.

A researcher role that

works with a person or
group to moderate a
Facilitator :
discussion or activity in
order to collect feedback
and information.
An approach to technology
Feature-centri that favors the complexity
:
c or amount of functionality
over the user experience.
A message confirming to
Feedback the user that an action has
:
message been completed
successfully.
Serves to describe the
Field labeling : purpose and function of
form elements.
First-Click : A testing method to see
Testing what visitors click on first
on a website.
A diagram designed to
identify cause-and-effect
relationships between
factors in a given situation.
Fishbone
: It is made up of a "head"
Diagram
which states a problem
and bones along the spine
which represent factors
and categories of factors.
A mathematical model that
predicts how long it will
take to point at a target
based on target size and
Fitts' Law :
proximity, stating the
further away and smaller it
is the longer it will take for
user to interact with it.
When a page contracts
Fluid layout : and expands horizontally
inside a persons web
 browser despite the size of
the browser window or the
resolution of the monitor.
A focus group is a pointed
discussion with a group of
participants that a
moderator leads through a
set of questions on a
Focus Group : particular topic to obtain
feedback about users,
products, concepts,
prototypes, tasks,
strategies, and
environments.
The fold is defined as the
lowest point where a Web
page is no longer visible
on a computer monitor or
Fold :
screen. Where on a Web
page the fold falls is a
function of the monitor
size, the screen resolution,
 and the font size selection.
The information that is
visible when a Web page
first loads is considered to
be "above the fold." Those
regions of the same Web
page that are visible only
by scrolling are considered
to be "below the fold."
A particular typeface, size,
Font :
pitch and spacing.
Font color : The color of the text.
How easy or difficult it is to
Font
: read a collection of words
readability
in a specific type style.
The height of a font
Font size :
measured in points.
Forced device
jumping Unneccesarily forcing
(keyboard/mo : users to change input
use devices to complete tasks.
switching)
 Input elements like text
fields, checkboxes,
Form radio-buttons, submit
:
elements buttons, select lists,
textarea, fieldset, legend,
and label elements.
Testing the design early in
development to inform and
Formative verify design decisions.
:
testing The results are leveraged
to further refine and form
the interface or product.
HTML pages used to pass
Forms :
data to a server.
A feature supported by
most browsers that
enables the designer to
divide the display area into
Frame :
two or more sections
(frames). The contents of
each frame behave like
different Web pages.
 A data collection technique
to gain user insight for a
specific domain or topic by
Free Listing :
asking people to list all the
items they can think of that
relate to the topic.
An action or capability
Function : which a system or
subsystem fulfills.
In human factors,
determining responsibility
Function for performing a given
:
Allocation function to humans or
technology within a given
system.
An evaluation technique
used to demonstrate the
Gap analysis : difference between the
desired state and the
current state.
 People do not visually
perceive items in isolation,
but as part of a larger
Gestalt whole. These principles
:
Principles include humans
tendencies towards
similarity, proximity,
continuity, and closure.
Page links or functions of a
Global
: website or application that
elements
are present throughout.
A means to access
Global
: primary content or
navigation
functions from every page
An automated action that
provides summary
information on where a link
will take a user prior to the
Gloss :
user clicking on the link.
Often, glosses appear as a
small "pop-up" text box
adjacent to a link. The
 gloss appears as the user
moves the mouse over the
link that is programmed
with the gloss.
When a site utilizes new
Graceful technology, if disabled, the
:
Degradation content maintains
effectiveness for the users.
Graphic
: See Visual Design
design
An element of a user
interface that displays
Graphic
: information or can be
elements
manipulated by the user to
pursue a task.
Interactive links that reside
Graphic links : in an image rather than
hypertext.
Graphical
User Interface : See User Interface
(GUI)
 Images, icons, patterns or
Graphics : other visual
representations.
A system of horizontal and
vertical lines providing a
Grid systems :
structural basis for page
layout and design.
The title, subtitle, or topic
that stands at the top or
Heading :
beginning of a paragraph
or section of text.
Color-based
representations of areas of
Heat maps : interest/focus points;
generally associated with
eye-tracking software.
Information incorporated
into a web page that
advises users how to
Help text :
perform an action or
provides complementary
information pertaining to
 the content.

An inspection method for

finding certain types of
usability problems in a
user interface design.
Heuristic evaluation
involves having one or
Heuristic more usability specialists
evaluation/Ex : individually examine the
pert review interface and judge its
compliance with
recognized usability
principles. These usability
principles are the
"heuristics" from which the
method takes its name.
The time it takes to make a
Hick's law
decision increases
(Hick-Hyman :
proportionally to the
law)
number and complexity of
 choices.

To move from high level or

Hierarchical summary information to
:
drill-down detailed content or data
focusing in on a topic.
Hierarchical Sometimes called a tree
structures (in structure where nodes
:
information have a parent /child
architecture) relationship to each other.
An interactive prototype
that simulates the real
High-Fidelity system or site's
:
Prototype functionality and design
details. [See also
Low-Fidelity Prototype]
Usually a smaller box with
Hover help or information that appears or
Tool : pops up if a user puts their
tip/Tooltip mouse over a designated
graphical element or text.
 Site structure where the
user may navigate from
Hub-and-spo the home page (the hub)
:
ke to any number of pages
(spokes) and back to the
home page again.
The frequency of the
wavelength of color; what
Hues :
we normally refer to as the
"color" of an object.
The multidisciplinary study
of human biological,
physical, psychological,
Human
: and social characteristics
Factors
in relation to
environments, objects and
services.
Applying what is known
Human
about human capabilities
Factors
: and limitations to the
Engineering
design of products,
(HFE)
processes, systems, and
 work environments. It can
contribute to the design of
any system with a human
interface, including
hardware and software.
The study of interaction
between people (users)
and hardware, software,
Human-Comp
websites and mobile
uter
: devices. It involves
Interaction
computer science,
(HCI)
behavioral sciences,
design and other fields of
study.
A combination of
navigation structures
Hybrid
incorporates some
navigation
: combination of
model (hybrid
components possibly
structure)
including sequential and/or
hierarchical IA designs.
 An element on a web page
that navigates a user to
another page or location
Hyperlinks :
within the same page.
These are conventionally
blue and underlined.
An image that is usually
interactive and represents
Icon graphic : an object or action or
marker for entry into
information.
A clickable image
hyperlinked for internal
Image links : linking and web site
navigation without
supporting text.
Regions of a single
graphic image are
designed to be clickable
Image map :
and hyperlinked to
different pages or
destinations.
 Text that provides users
with descriptive
Image
: information about a
placeholders
graphic while it is
downloading.
Index links function as a
table of contents. They
provide users a quick
glance at the Web site
Index link : organization, allows users
to quickly ascertain where
they want to go, and to
navigate there directly
from the homepage.
User data collection
methods that do not
Indirect user include face-to-face
:
data interaction, such as
surveys and marketing
efforts.
 Design of consumer
Industrial products that considers
Design or usability, human factors,
:
Product ergonomics, and
Design appearance while still
maintaining function.
The process of organizing
information including
defining site hierarchies,
Information web content, labeling
Architecture : schemes and navigation in
(IA) a way that is easy for
people to find, understand
and manage the
information.
The study of how a user
Interaction
: interacts with a page,
Design (IXD)
application or product.
A view or presentation of
Interface :
an object or program.
Interface See Interaction Design,
:
Design Visual Design
 Hyperlinks within a page or
site which point to
Internal links :
additional content within
the same site.
A system whose primary
design has been
Internationaliz developed to work in
:
ation multiple languages and in
the cultural contexts of
different locales.
One-on-one interactions
between end-users and
researchers to gather data
Interviews :
about the conceptual
model or design of a
system.
News writing format that
Inverted
gives the most important
pyramid :
information or conclusion
writing
first, followed by details.
 A methodology in which a
product is tested and
changed repeatedly at
Iterative different stages of
:
testing design/development to
eliminate usability issues
before the product is
launched.
Certain words or
expressions that are not
Jargon : readily understood except
by particular professionals
or groups.
A popular programming
language that's built into
Javascript : all the major web browsers
and is used to make web
pages interactive.
Meetings in which
Joint Advisory
developers and users
Design (JAD) :
collaborate to discuss
sessions
aspects of an interface
 under development.

The space between

Kerning :
characters in a font.
A word that is used as a
reference point for finding
other words or information
using a search capability in
Keyword : a Web site. In content
management, keywords
are the metadata tags that
classify a document into
the system's categories.
Keep it Simple Stupid. A
populat principal for
KISS : encouraging simplicity in
the areas of design and
engineering.
The consistent selection
Labeling
: and placement of labels
systems
that best accommodates
 navigation.

Naming conventions for

Labels :
buttons or site navigation.
The location in a Web site
where a given user goes
Landing page : after clicking on a link.
Also Target page or
Destination page.
Individuals who are
Late adopters : hestitant to adopt new
technology.
Graphic elements that
Layout serve to delineate, divide
:
graphic or identify content on a
webpage.
Line spacing or the vertical
Leading : space between lines of
text.
How easy or difficult it is to
Learnability : learn to effectively use a
system or interface.
 A response range for a
type of survey question in
which a person is asked to
rate their reaction to a
Likert Scale : statement along a scale.
The scale typically runs
from a positive rating to a
negative rating with a
neutral score in between.
A design technique that
Liquid design : automatically scales to fit
the user's browser.
Refers to navigation within
a local area of a site or
Local
: application including
navigation
sub-site navigation and
page-level navigation.
Customizing or
personalizing a national or
Localization :
international product for a
local market.
 Descriptions that are
written for complex figures
and tagged via the long
desc attribute; though not
Long
: currently supported by
Descriptions
most Web browsers, the
long desc attribute is a
planned feature in the next
iteration of Firefox.
A study conducted over a
period of time to analyze
Longitudinal
: the long-term effects of
Study
changes in products,
processes or environment.
The consistent visual
Look and design and application of a
:
Feel corporate identity to an
interface.
Low cost, illustrated
Low-Fidelity design or concept usually
:
Prototype sketched on paper or
created as flat images.
 [See also high-Fidelity
Prototype]
Subjective brightness,
Luminance :
intensity of light.
A measure of the
difference between
Luminance foreground and
Contrast : background; specific
Ratio minimal values are
recommended via WCAG
2.0.
A control that
Masked data
: automatically formats the
entry control
input's appearance
The (usually) graphical
banner at the top of a Web
page that identifies the
organization or group that
Masthead :
hosts the Web site. The
masthead typically
contains the name of the
organization and site (if
 different) and an
organizational logo.

The degree to which users

Memorability : can remember how to use
an interface
The user's conception of
the structure of the web
application. The closer the
Mental map
: users mental model is to
or model
the functionality of the site,
the higher the site's
perceived usability.
Data about data, it can be
used to describe content
Metadata : on a web page or
information in any other
sort of media.
An action designed to
Minesweepin identify where on a page
:
g links are located.
Minesweeping involves the
 user rapidly moving the
cursor or pointer over a
page, watching to see
where the cursor or pointer
changes to indicate the
presence of a link. [See
also Mouseover]
Modal/non-m A page or window that
odal OR : forces the user's
modality interaction.
Moderated Usability testing with the
usability : active participation of a
testing facilitator or moderator.
Paintings, drawings,
design, or photographs in
Monochrome :
one color or shades of one
color.
A font whose letters and
Monospaced characters each occupy
:
font the same amount of
horizontal space.
 A Web interaction wherein
some visually-apparent
change occurs to an item
when the user's
cursor/pointer is placed
over the item. Examples of
Mouseover :
visually-apparent change
includes links highlighting
(words, images, etc.),
cursors/pointers changing
shape, or menus opening.
[See also Minesweeping]
The means by which users
Navigation : to get from page to page
on a website.
A design phase that
interprets information
architecture and task flows
Navigation
: into wireframes or
design
mockups to demonstrate
and test the site structure
and visual direction.
 A Web page that contains
no content and that is
designed solely to direct or
Navigation
: redirect users. Navigation
page
pages may be designed as
homepages, site maps,
site overviews, etc.
Negative Unused space or white
:
space space.
A card sort exercise where
participants are grouping
content topics or "cards"
Open Card
: into categories and then
Sort
namong ot labeling the
categories. [See Card Sort
and Closed Card Sort]
An open list is a
screen-based control
where either all of the list
Open list :
items are immediately
visible on the screen, or
where several list items
 are immediately visible to
the user, and the
remaining list items can be
viewed by scrolling the list.
The system's most
Optimal path : efficient and effective way
to accomplish a task.
The way in which
information is organized or
structured. This
Organization
: organization is based on
schemes
the type an breadth of
information contained on
the site.
The way in which material
is organized so users can
quickly form a Mental
Organizing Model. Common
:
principals organizing principals
include: alphabetical,
chronological, task-based,
geographical or audience
 oriented.

A measure of the
percentage of the screen
Page density :
that is filled with text and
graphics.
A hierarchy or sequence
Page flow : suggested by arrangement
of elements on a page.
Predefined layouts or
Page
: formats for sets of
templates
common web pages.
Page titles refer to the text
located in the browser title
Page title : bar (this is the bar found at
the very top of the screen
of common browsers).
Dividing information into
Pagination : separate sequentially
numbered or linked pages.
 A Web site design
methodology that requires
users to follow a series of
"Next page" links to read
Paging :
an entire article. Moving
from page-to-page is an
alternative to scrolling
through long pages.
Visually and
thematically-defined
sections of a Web page.
Panels are frequently
placed in the left and right
Panels : margins of pages. Panels
often contain navigation
aids, including related
links. Content is not
usually placed in left or
right panels.
A prototyping method in
Paper
: which paper models are
Prototyping
used to simulate computer
 or web applications.

A design methodology that

involves several designers
pursuing the same effort
Parallel simultaneously, but
:
Design independently, with the
intention to combine the
best aspects of each for
the ultimate solution.
Extracting component
Parse :
parts
Voice is a grammatical
feature of English verbs.
Passive voice permits
subjects to have
something done to them
Passive voice :
(by someone or
something). For
example, ?The link was
clicked by John.? Some
argue that passive voice is
 more indirect and wordier
than active voice.

The route taken by a user

as they move through a
Path :
Web site. The path can be
shown by breadcrumbs.
Data used to measure how
Performance
: easily or completely a user
data
did a task.
The goals set for user
behaviors on an individual
Web page or a series of
Web pages. These
objectives usually are
Performance
: stated in terms of the time
objectives
to correctly select a link,
the overall accuracy of
selecting links, the
average time to select a
target page, etc.
 A usability test that is
characterized by having
typical users perform a
Performance
: series of tasks where their
test
speed, accuracy and
success are closely
monitored and measured.
The creation of a
representative user based
on available data and user
interviews. Though the
Persona :
personal details of the
persona may be fiction, the
information used to create
the user type is not.
Physical consistency
refers to the "look and feel"
of a Web site. Physically
Physical
: consistent Web pages will
consistency
have logos, headers, and
navigation elements all
located in the same place.
 The pages also will use
the same fonts and
graphic elements across
all pages in the site.
Clear and succinct
communication written to
Plain ensure readers can
:
language understand the information
as quickly and completely
as possible.
A software module that
adds a specific feature or
service to a larger system.
For example, there is a
Plug-in : number of plug-ins for
common browsers that
enable them to display
different types of audio
and video.
 A term used to describe
conventional Web surfing
behavior. When a user
visually identifies a link
they wish to follow, they
Point-and-clic
: place their mouse pointer
k
over the link (point) and
depress the appropriate
button on the mouse
(click). [See also
Mouseover]
A window that is opened
Pop ups : up by the browser, not by
the user.
A pop-under or pop-up is a
window that is
automatically invoked
Pop-under/Po when a user loads a Web
:
p-up page. Pop-under appears
below the active browser
window, whereas pop-ups
appear above the active
 window and can obscure
screen contents.

Information that is
Preference gathered about a user's
:
data perception and feelings
about the experience.
The goals set for user
attitudes toward individual
Web pages or an entire
Web site. The objectives
are usually set and
Preference
: measured using
objectives
questionnaires. These
objectives include
information concerning
user acceptance and user
satisfaction.
Product Design of consumer
Design or : products that considers
Industrial usability, human factors,
Design ergonomics, and
appearance while still
maintaining function.
Programmatic Where the computer's
:
Focus focus is on a Web page.
Type with spacing
Proportional apportioned according to
:
font the shape and width of the
character .
Ordinary writing, in a Web
context, prose text
Prose text : comprises sentences and
paragraphs. [See also
Continuous Text]
A preliminary model or
archetype of a web page
or website used to
demonstrate or test the
Prototype :
user experience and
various task flows. [See
also Low & High Fidelity
Prototypes]
 Pushbuttons are
screen-based controls that
contain a text label or an
image (or both).
Pushbuttons are used to
provide quick and
convenient access to
frequently-used actions.
The pushbutton control is
Pushbutton :
always activated with a
single click of a mouse
button. Clicking on
pushbuttons should cause
the indicated action to take
place, i.e., "search." Do
not use pushbuttons to
move from one location to
another in a Web site.
The study of human
Qualitative behavior that focuses on
:
Research context and observations
rather than numerical data
 or statistics.

The study of human

Quantitative behavior that focuses on
:
Research numerical data and
statistics.
A filtered request from a
Query :
database.
A filter request from a
Query strings : database contained in the
URL of a webpage.
A screen-based control
used to select one item
from a list of
mutually-exclusive items
Radio button :
(i.e., use radio buttons
when only one item in a list
of several items can be
selected).
Quickly generating
Rapid
: mockups of what a system
Prototyping
will look like to facilitate
 internal review or testing.

A range of numbers in a
sequential order that
Rating Scales :
respondents use to assign
a value to a given subject.
The degree to which users
can easily and accurately
Readability :
read information on a web
page
The level of education a
Reading
user would need to
grade level :
understand a piece of
(RGL)
content
Remote usability testing
allows you to conduct user
research with participants
Remote in their natural
:
Testing environment by employing
screen-sharing software or
online remote usability
vendor services. In
 general, tests should be
about 15–30 minutes long
made up of about 3-5
tasks.
Choosing a group of
Representativ
: participants that represent
e sampling
your target audience
A web design approach
aimed at crafting sites to
Responsive
: provide an optimal viewing
Design
experience across
platforms and devices.
The value of the
Return on
investment of time or
investment :
resources relative to the
(ROI)
expense of the effort.
Information that
automatically appears on
the screen during a
Reveals :
Web-based slideshow
presentation, or while
viewing a multimedia Web
 page.

A state change that

involves one element
Rollovers : being replaced by another
upon the mouse going
over it.
How easy it is to read and
Scanability :
understand a body of text.
An information-retrieval
method whereby users
look quickly through a Web
page looking for target
information (headers,
keywords, etc.). Scanning
Scanning :
can be a quick and
efficient
information-retrieval
method if Web pages are
designed to accommodate
scanning.
 Hypothetical
circumstances used to
Scenarios : frame and prompt the user
to follow or pursue a
particular task path.
A software program used
to allow reading of content
and navigation of the
screen using speech or
Screen
: Braille output. Used
reader
primarily by people who
have difficulty seeing.
JAWS and NVDA are
examples.
A questionnaire used in
recruiting to ensure
participants meet a
Screener :
defined criteria and are
part of the targeted
audience.
A screenful is defined as
Screenful :
that portion of a Web page
 that is visible on any given
user's monitor or screen at
any given point in time.
The size of the screenful is
determined by the user's
monitor size, screen
resolution settings, and the
user's selected font size.
The scroll bar is visible
along the right edge of
common browsers. It is
Scroll bar :
defined by a movable box
that runs on a vertical or
horizontal axis.
A graphic or other page
element that may visually
impede a user from
scrolling to the true top or
Scroll stopper :
bottom of a page.
Misplaced headers,
horizontal lines, or
sections of text in very
 small fonts may act as
scroll stoppers.

A method of traversing a
Web page wherein users
either roll the scroll wheel
on their mouse, or
Scrolling :
manually move the scroll
bar located on the right
side of their browser's
screen.
Techniques used to
improve website
positioning (ranking) on
Search
the web's search engines.
Engine
: The specific goal is to
Optimization
have the site listed among
(SEO)
the first results for
searches on particular
keywords.
Section 508 : Section 508 of the
[see also 508] Rehabilitation Act was
enacted to eliminate
barriers in information
technology, to make
available new
opportunities for people
with disabilities, and to
encourage development of
technologies that will help
achieve these goals. The
law applies to all Federal
agencies when they
develop, procure,
maintain, or use electronic
and information
technology. To learn more
go to 508.gov.
Semantics is a term used
to distinguish the meaning
Semantics : of an instruction from its
format. A semantic error
occurs when you enter a
 legal command that does
not make sense in the
current context. To reduce
error, provide semantic
hints. Example of a
semantic hint: Use AND to
retrieve a smaller set of
records in which both of
the search terms are
present. Use OR to
retrieve a larger number of
records; OR is commonly
used to search for
synonymous terms or
concepts.
An error that occurs should
Sequence a user attempt to complete
:
error an ordered task out of the
defined sequence.
Where information flows or
Sequential
: proceeds in a logical
flow
sequence. For example:
 alphabetically,
chronologically or from
general to specific.
A projection off of the
Serif :
stroke of a character
Occurring on the server
side of a client-server
system. For example, on
the Web, CGI scripts are
server-side applications
because they run on the
Web server. In contrast,
Server-side JavaScript scripts are
:
(image map) client-side because they
are executed by the
browser (the client). Java
applets can be either
server-side or client-side
depending on which
computer (the server or
the client) executes them.
 The proportion of strong
Signal/noise messaging (signal) with
:
ratio extraneous information
(noise)
Perception that elements
Similarity : of the same size, shape or
color belong together
Menus that simultaneously
display choices from
Simultaneous multiple levels in the menu
:
menus hierarchy, providing users
with the ability to make
menu choices in any order.
A clickable, graphic- or
Site map : text-based display of a
Web site's hierarchy.
Sketching is rapid,
freehand drawing that we
Sketching : do with no intention of its
becoming a finished
product.
 Allows you to create
Skip
custom paths based on
Navigation / :
previous actions or
Skip Logic
answers
The term UX specification
(user experience
specification) is used to
describe the
documentation that a user
experience designer /
information architect
produces as their key
deliverable towards the
Specifications :
end of a design phase (of
which there could be many
depending on the project
size and methodology). As
a minimum it is most
commonly comprised of
site map, annotated
page/UI/component
wireframes,
 user/interaction flows

Creating two versions of

Split site the same website and
:
studies testing them against each
other
A contract document that
Statement of states work activities and
:
work (SOW) tasks used for project
planning and management
Menus that always shows
Static menus :
the same choices
A visual representation of
how a user will interact
Storyboard :
with an application or
interface.
A set of statements that
specify presentation of a
document. Style sheets
Style sheet :
may have three different
origins: they may be
written by content
 providers, created by
users, or built into
browsers or plug-ins.
Questionnaires sent out to
target audiences to collect
Survey or
: data from individuals about
questionnaire
certain topics or
experiences
The formatting rules tht
aaddress the spelling of
language components and
the rules controlling how
components should be
combined. A syntax error
occurs if you misspell a
Syntax :
command, use
inappropriate grammar,
capitalization, etc. To
reduce error, provide
syntactic hints. Example of
a syntactic hint: "Enter
search terms separated by
 AND, OR, NOT, and/or
enclose terms in double
quotes to specify your
search." "All operators
must be capitalized."

SUS is a technology
System
independent ten item scale
Usability :
for subjective evaluation of
Scale (SUS)
the usability.
A graphical navigation
element that is most often
placed at the top of a Web
Tab : page. Effective tabs
should be designed so that
they resemble real-world
file folder tabs.
A phrase or short sentence
placed directly below a
Tagline : Web page's masthead.
The tagline functions to
quickly identify the
 purpose of the Web site. It
may be a subtitle, an
organizational motto, or a
vision or purpose
statement.
The set of users for which
Target
: a system is designed or
audience
intended.
The location in a site
where a user will find the
Target page : information they are
seeking. [See also
Destination page]
A procedure that includes
goals, steps, skills, start
Task : state, inputs, end state,
and outputs to accomplish
an activity.
A method used to identify
and understand the
Task analysis :
activities to be performed
by users when interacting
 with a Web site.
The number of levels in a
Task depth :
hierarchal structure.
A representation of the
Task flow
: various tasks and their
diagrams
interrelationships on a site.
An overview of a task and
all of its characteristics
Task profile :
such as frequency,
importance and flow.
Narrative description of
Task scenario : how and why a user would
interact with an interface.
How information is
Taxonomy :
organization or classified
The process by which a
test participant narrates
Think-aloud their testing experience
:
Protocol with not only what they are
doing, but why they are
doing it.
Thumbnail A small copy of a larger
:
image image.
When entering data that
may be sensitive (e.g.,
credit card or social
security numbers), many
Time out : Web sites will disconnect
("time out") if a user has
not interacted with the
browser in a set amount of
time.
Usually a smaller box with
Tool information that appears or
tip/Tooltip or : pops up if a user puts their
Hover help mouse over a designated
graphical element or text.
The primary way in which
Topology :
pages are linked together.
A text only version of
what's said in a movie or
Transcript :
television program; they
are not real time and they
 generally are limited to
speech only; they are not a
recommended substitute
for captions.
A hierarchical structure
where nodes have a
Tree structure :
parent /child relationship to
each other.
URL is an abbreviation for
Uniform Resource Locator.
Every Web page has a
URL :
URL that is used to identify
the page and the server on
which the page resides.
How effectively, efficiently
and satisfactorily a user
Usability :
can interact with a user
interface.
Usability
A variety of techniques for
evaluation or :
measuring usability.
assessment
Usability lab : A space designated for
 conducting usability tests
by observing user
interactions with a system
and recording their
activities. Additional
observers may be present
or may observe via two-
way mirrors or video
streaming in another room.
Usability testing includes a
range of test and
evaluation methods such
as automated evaluations,
inspection evaluations,
operational evaluations
Usability
: and human performance
testing
testing. In a typical
performance test, users
perform a variety of tasks
with a prototype (or an
operational system) while
observers note what each
 user does and says and
performance data are
recorded. One of the main
purposes of usability
testing is to identify issues
that keep users from
meeting the usability goals
of a Web site.
A document describing
critical tasks to be
accomplished by the user,
or actor, or persona which
Use case or
: outlines the specific
User scenario
sequence of actions
needed to achieve the
goal, as well as alternative
sequences.
A broad term for several
Use disciplines that study the
Experience : effect of design on the
(UE, UX) ease of use and level of
satisfaction with a product,
 site or system.

User Interface
(UI), or
Graphical : What the user sees.
User Interface
(GUI)
The basic content
User interface
: organization and its
structure
navigation model.
The study of the user's
User research : reactions to and
interactions with a system.
An approach to designing
a product or service (e.g.
User-Centere
user interface design), in
d Design :
which the end user is
(UCD)
placed in the center of the
process.
Where the user's focus is
Visual Focus : on a Web page; generally
represented by a dashed
 box that appears around
items on the page and
associated with tabbing.
A linear design process
whereby, steps are
Waterfall completed and the project
:
model passes onto the next
phase with evaluation
completed at the end.
The Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.0 is focused on
providing an international
technical standard for web
content. It has 12
WCAG 2.0 : guidelines that are
organized under four
principles: perceivable,
operable, understandable,
and robust. The guidelines
each have a testable
success criteria, which are
 at three levels: A, AA, and
AAA.
The measurement,
collection, analysis and
Web reporting of internet data
:
Analytics for purposes of
understanding and
optimizing web usage.
The use of blank
(uncluttered) space on a
White Space :
page to promote content
and navigation.
Screen-based controls that
are used to interact with a
Web site and other
Widget : systems. Widgets include
pushbuttons, selection
lists, radio buttons, sliders,
etc.
A highly simplified sketch
Wireframe : of the important
information in a page. Also
 known as page
architecture, page
schematic, or blueprint
Within-page links are used
on content pages that
contain several (e.g., three
or more) screenfuls of
information. Within-page
links are best arranged as
Within-page a table of contents for the
:
links page. Within-page links
allow users to skip through
textual information,
resulting in a more efficient
information-finding
process. [See also Anchor
links]
An acronym for "What you
see is what you get." It
WYSIWYG : describes the way in which
the layout on the graphical
screen is a representation
of the printed version of
the document.