Website glossary terms
Table of Contents
A
ABOVE THE FOLD
The region of a Web page that is visible without scrolling. The area above the fold will vary according to a user's monitor size and resolution settings. The region above the fold is called a screenful.
ACCESSIBILITY
Relates to web design/coding standards and refers to how easy it is for ‘users’ to use your website, including visually impaired or in any way physically handicapped users, or limited by older or less common computers and software.
ADDRESS BAR
The white bar towards the top of your computer screen. It will normally have something typed in it that starts with ‘http://’ This is where you type in the address of a website that you want to visit.
AFFORDANCE
Refers to the properties that an object has. These properties tell users how many actions they can do using the respective object.
ANCHOR TEXT
The text a link (hyperlink) uses to refer to your web page. These make a difference in your search engine results.
ANIMATION
A simulation of movement by the rapid appearance of images in sequence.
ANTI-ALIASING
Smoothing the jagged appearance of diagonal lines in a bitmapped image. The pixels that surround the edges of the line are changed to varying shades of grey or colour in order to blend the sharp edge into the background. This technique is also called dithering.
ATOMIC DESIGN
A methodology created by Brad Frost for breaking down the parts of a website using a chemistry analogy of atoms, molecules, and organisms that allows designers and developers to roll out higher quality, more consistent user interfaces quickly and efficiently.
B
BACKLINKS
Links from other website pages to yours. Backlinks are used to increase a site’s popularity with search engines and to get more people to visit your site.
BACKGROUND IMAGES
Images, pictures or patterns that appear behind graphical user interface elements on a web page.
BANDWIDTH
Bandwidth relates to how much a resource is used, ‘Traffic’. An analogy would be a freeway. The wider the freeway, the more traffic (users) it can handle. The narrower it is, the fewer people can use it at once (without problems).
BANNER
Banners are graphic images that commonly function as Web-based billboards. Banner ads generally appear toward the top centre of the screen and are used as attention-grabbing links to other sites.
BANNER ADVERTS (ADS)
On the web, a small, rectangular ad designed to attract traffic to a website.
BETA
A term used for software that is in a ‘live’ testing phase. People can use it but can expect some hiccups.
BITMAPPED
An image that follows a pattern of square-shaped pixels.
BLOG
An online journal or diary and a very popular current method of sharing your thoughts with the world. It is also very popular as a marketing tool.
BOUNDED FIELD / UNBOUNDED FIELD
An unbounded field is a free form entry field, a bounded field sets the parameters for selection or entry for the user.
BOUNCE
When you send an email to someone and it comes straight back to you with an error message, it is said to have bounced. It’s like the internet version of ‘return to sender’.
BOUNCE RATE
A website’s bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave the site from the same page they entered the site, without clicking through to any other pages. This can indicate a website’s navigation or content quality.
BRANDING
A brand encompasses all messages, promotions, actions, products etc. that a particular business releases to the public. A common misconception is that a logo design is a business’ brand.
BREADCRUMB
A more common term, breadcrumbs are a string of links displayed near the top of a page that act as an index of sorts helping to orient the user to where they are in relation to other pages and sections of the site. They are also often hyperlinks, providing a secondary form of navigation to users.
BROWSER
When you visit a website, you are seeing it on a browser. Websites look different in reality from what you see when you visit them. Everything is in fact encoded. A browser is a piece of software that decodes everything.
BUTTON
This is an element on a page that the user can interact with to trigger an event. It’s usually used as a way to confirm an action that the user is taking, like downloading something or submitting a form, and it often stands out from the page, making it a good way to give direction to the user.
C
CACHE
Every time you do anything on your computer, it stores this in memory so that the next time you try to do the same thing, it happens quicker than having to wait from scratch. It stores all this is called the ‘cache’.
CALL TO ACTION (CTA)
Specific text, image, banner or button that uses persuasive, action-oriented words that urge a visitor on a website to act. CTAs are designed to move a visitor from one page to the next and persuade them to take an action.
CAROUSEL/SLIDER
The term Slider is used for a slideshow added to a web page. You to create your own sliders and add them to your home page, landing pages, posts, or anywhere you want.
CASCADING STYLE SHEETS (CSS)
Code that defines how to display HTML elements in external style sheets that enable you to change the appearance and layout of all the pages in a Web site by editing one single file.
CLICKABILITY CUES
A visual indication that a given word or item on a Web page is clickable. Cues that can be used to indicate the clickability of an item include colour, underlining, bullets, and arrows.
CMS
‘Content Management System’. A dynamic website that is normally database driven and which enables the owner/user to manage the content of their own website (make changes) without needing to know any coding at all.
CODE
Everything on the internet is coded to achieve the exact look, layout and functions. There are different types of code and coding languages that are used to develop websites as well as all computer programs and software.
COLOUR DEPTH
How many colours a computer screen can display, based on the number of bits per pixel.
COMP/MOCK-UP
Refers to a representative sample or preview of the design for a website.
COMPONENTS
Refers to a discrete piece of the front end interface (UI) of a website.
CONTENT
Text and media elements, images, video, illustration, and so on, that form components, pages, and websites.
CONTENT WRITING
Specializing in providing relevant content for websites. Every website has a specific target audience and requires the most relevant content to attract business. Content should contain keywords aimed at improving a website's SEO.
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Also known as a CMS, the content management system is a back-end tool for managing a site’s content that separates the content from the design and functionality of the website.
COOKIE
A small piece of information that certain websites store on your computer when you visit them. Cookies are normally harmless and the reasons for using them vary. A website can load quickly when you next visit from saved data.
CPC
Cost per click, or the price that online advertisers pay each time an ad is clicked.
CPM
Cost per thousand, or the price that advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions.
CPV
Cost per view, or the price that advertisers pay for each video view.
CTR
Click-through rate, or the percentage of people who click an ad or other online link.
D
DATA ENTRY FIELD
A visually well-defined location on a page where users may type data.
DATABASE DRIVEN
With a normal static website, the information that you see is on the page itself. It does not change unless someone manually edits the page. On a database-driven website, the information is not stored on the page, but in a database.
DENSITY (PAGE)
A measure of the percentage of the screen that is filled with text and graphics.
DESIGN VALIDATION
An assessment of a website's functions and elements correspondence as identified initially with the design and the end user’s actual needs.
DESIGN VERIFICATION
An assessment of the interface's correspondence with the design that was defined.
DIRECTORY (SEARCH ENGINE)
Much like the Yellow Pages, a directory is a place where information about hundreds, thousands and millions of websites is stored to allow people to easily and quickly find information and/or resources.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
A type of web advertising that can accommodate text, images, logos and other elements in the same space.
DISPLAY TYPE
Type that is designed with the objective of attracting attention. Think of movie titles on posters, article titles in magazines, newspaper headlines, etc.
DOMAIN
A domain is a person or organization’s unique space on the internet. In layman’s terms, it is commonly used to mean the name of your website.
DOMAIN NAME
A domain is identified by the number assigned to its unique space. To make it easier to use, however, the number is given the name of your choice and this name is assigned to the number.
DOWNLOAD
When you transfer information from a website or server to your computer, this is called downloading. Collecting email is therefore a download, as is saving a document from the internet to your computer or installing a software program.
DROP-DOWN
A drop-down can be one of two elements: A drop-down menu is a navigational menu that has sub-menus or categories below it. When clicked on, the sub-menus ‘drop down’ and are then visible to the user.
E
EARNED MEDIA
Positive news coverage of newsworthy achievements, as opposed to paid media such as advertising.
ENGAGEMENT
In marketing, any action by a user that creates or deepens a relationship with a constituent, such as clicking, bookmarking, liking, subscribing, attending and donating. Capturing the user's attention or interest or maintaining their interaction.
ETHICS (MORAL PHILOSOPHY)
A branch of philosophy that ‘involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour’. The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value; these fields comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology.
EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURE
A multidisciplinary approach to technology involving information architecture, interaction design and experience design practices that aim to provide a good user experience and benefit a business.
EXPERIENCE DESIGN
The discipline of creating user experiences rather than products and services, with a strong application in interactive media.
EYEBROW
A small text label that is often used to categorize the content. Typically this is placed above a headline, thus the ‘eyebrow’ metaphor.
F
FLUID LAYOUT
When a page contracts and expands horizontally inside a persons web browser despite the size of the browser window or the resolution of the monitor.
FLYOUT NAVIGATION
A flyout navigation menu contains multiple links to different pages and/or categories on a website. It typically contains multiple columns, whereas a drop-down menu may only display one column below the main tab.
FOLD
The fold is a term carried over from newspaper design and pagination, where the fold referred to the physical fold in the paper. The fold is defined as the lowest point where a Web page is no longer visible on a computer monitor or 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 are 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’.
FONT
A particular typeface, size, pitch and spacing.
FONT COLOUR (COLOR)
The colour of the text.
FONT FAMILY
Font family is a group designation for defining the typefaces used in CSS documents. The font family tag generally lists multiple fonts to be used and usually ends with the generic font category (such as ‘serif’ or ‘sans-serif’).
FONT READABILITY
How easy or difficult it is to read a collection of words in a specific type style.
FONT SIZE
The height of a font measured in points.
FUNCTIONAL BENEFIT
The value is derived from what a product or service does for a constituent.
G
GALLERY
A component used to display a collection of media items.
GESTALT PRINCIPLES
People do not visually perceive items in isolation but as part of a larger whole. These principles include humans tendencies towards similarity, proximity, continuity, and closure.
GIF
A type of file used for images, especially animated graphics and line-drawn images (as opposed to photographs). A .gif image can be saved with a transparent background, making it ideal for graphic overlays.
GOOGLE ADS
An online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, or videos to web users.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
The aim in improving design aesthetics, appeal and usability with suitable images, typography, space, layout and colour. Also referred to as Visual Design.
GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
The basic elements of design, such as a button, gradient, logo, other shapes, objects, combine to create visual and verbal designs.
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
A GUI is a form of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and audio indicators such as primary notation, instead of text-based user interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation.
GRAPHICS
Images, icons, patterns or other visual representations.
H
HASHTAG
In a Twitter message, a word or phrase is preceded by the # symbol to make it easily searchable, along with other Twitter messages using the same word or phrase.
HERO
A common term used to refer to the main image on a homepage or landing page.
HEADER
The top-most portion of a web page. Often includes a logo and site navigation.
HEADINGS
HTML tags that help give semantic meaning to text elements on a web page. Headings vary from H1 to H6 depending on the importance of text.
HIERARCHY
The visual arrangement of design elements in a way that signifies importance. For example, you might make a title big and bold to ensure it attracts more attention than a small, lightly coloured image caption.
HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
An interactive prototype that simulates the real system or site's functionality and design details.
HOST / HOSTING
In order for you to have an email address or a website, a computer has to provide you with 3 things: an IP (domain) address, physical space to store the information and bandwidth that accommodates the flow of information.
HTML
HyperText Markup Language. This is the base language that s used for creating websites. Common uses of the term are, ‘HTML coding’ and ‘HTML website’. A website created in pure HTML is also referred to as a static website.
HTTP
HyperText Transfer Protocol. This is a method used to transfer information on the internet and normally precedes the ‘description’ of the actual resource being accessed and transferred.
HTTPS
Similar to HTTP, HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol over SSL (Secure Socket Layer). It’s a set of rules for transferring hypertext requests between browsers and servers but done over a secure, encrypted connection.
HUES
The frequency of the wavelength of colour; what is normally referred to as the ‘colour’ of an object.
HYPERLINK
A hyperlink is a link from one web page to another, either on the same site or another. These are text or images and are highlighted in some way. The inclusion of hyperlinks is the ‘hyper’ part of ‘hypertext’.
HYBRID NAVIGATION MODEL
A combination of navigation structures incorporates some combination of components possibly including sequential and/or hierarchical IA designs.
HYPERTEXT
Hypertext is any computer-based text that includes hyperlinks. Hypertext can also include presentation devices like tables or images, in addition to plain text and links.
I
ICON GRAPHIC
An image that is usually interactive and represents an object or action or marker for entry into information.
IFRAME
Short for Inline Frame. An iframe is used to display one or more web pages within another normal web page (one that isn’t a frameset page).
IMAGE LINKS
A clickable image hyperlinked for internal linking and website navigation without supporting text.
IMAGE PLACEHOLDERS
Text that provides users with descriptive information about a graphic while it is downloading.
INFLUENCER
A person with the power to sway members of a group, especially through social media.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Used to describe the semantic layout of content and information on a website, including organization of the information, dealing with page directions in a website’s structure, and what content is contained on each page.
INTERACTION DESIGN (IXD)
The study of how a user interacts with a page, application or product.
INTERFACE
A view or presentation of an object or program.
INTERFACE DESIGN
A combination of Interaction Design and Graphic Design.
INTERNATIONALIZATION
A system whose primary design has been developed to work in multiple languages and in the cultural contexts of different locales.
IP or IP ADDRESS
Internet Protocol. Very simply, the IP address refers to the actual number that a web address name translates to. (also see ‘domain’). The IP number is the real address.
J
JPG
A type of file used for images, especially photographs. Images used on web pages work best as jpg or gif.
K
KEYWORD (KEY PHRASE)
An internet marketing term that refers to the main topics or subjects of your web pages in relation to how people would phrase them when searching for your products or services on the internet.
L
LANDING PAGE
A landing page is a page where a visitor first enters a website. Oftentimes, a special landing page is created to elicit a specific action from the new visitor, usually in connection with an advertising or marketing campaign. Also referred to as ‘Target page’ or ‘Destination page’.
LAYOUT GRAPHIC
Graphic elements that serve to delineate, divide or identify content on a webpage.
LEADING
Line spacing or the vertical space between lines of text.
LINK
The internet is made up of millions of resources and computers that all link to each other. One type of link (verb) is a link (noun). This is a small snippet of code that creates an area on a web page that can be clicked on.
LIST
A group of elements and/or components.
LOOK AND FEEL
The consistent visual design and application of a corporate identity to an interface.
LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
Low cost, illustrated design or concept usually sketched on paper or created as flat images. [See also high-Fidelity Prototype]
LUMINANCE
Subjective brightness, an intensity of light.
M
MASTHEAD
Usually a graphical banner at the top of a Web page that identifies the organization or group that hosts the Web site. The masthead typically contains the name of the organization and site (if different) and an organizational logo.
METADATA
Metadata is the data contained in the header that offers information about the web page that a visitor is currently on. The information contained in the metadata is not viewable on the web page (except in the source code).
META TAG
Included in the head section of an HTML web page and only visible to search engines. Meta tags provide information about a web page, like the topic (title), keywords, description and also instructions to search engine robots.
MOCKUP
Part of the design phase, this is the step where wireframes are given personality to align with brand guidelines and user persona research.
MONOCHROME
Paintings, drawings, designs, or photographs in one colour or shades of one colour.
MONOSPACED FONT
A font whose letters and characters each occupy the same amount of horizontal space.
MOTION GRAPHICS
A design discipline specializing in animated content for television, the Internet or live presentations.
N
NAVIGATION
Navigation refers to the system that allows visitors to a website to move around that site. Navigation is most often thought of in terms of menus, but links within pages, breadcrumbs, related links, pagination, and any other links.
NAVIGATION DESIGN
A design phase that interprets information architecture and task flows into wireframes or mockups to demonstrate and test the site structure and visual direction.
NEGATIVE SPACE
Unused space or white space.
O
ORGANIC SEARCH RESULTS
Listings are returned by a search engine based on their relevance to the search terms.
ORM
Online Reputation Management (ORM) combines marketing, SEO, and public relations strategies to monitor and boost your online reputation. Tactics include: monitoring, soliciting, suppression and maintenance.
OPERATING SYSTEM
The type of software that you use to run a computer is the operating system.
OPTIMIZATION
This term is used to refer to the reduction of the size of an element to be more ideal for web use. Example: Images used on a website should be optimized to smaller file sizes to decrease the time it takes to load a site page.
P
PAGE DENSITY
A measure of the percentage of the screen that is filled with text and graphics.
PAGE FLOW
A hierarchy or sequence suggested by the arrangement of elements on a page.
PAGE TEMPLATES
Predefined layouts or formats for sets of common web pages.
PAGE TITLE
Page titles refer to the text located in the browser title bar (this is the bar found at the very top of the screen of common browsers).
PAGINATION
Dividing information into separate sequentially numbered or linked pages.
PAGING
A Web site design methodology that requires users to follow a series of "Next page" links to read an entire article. Moving from page to page is an alternative to scrolling through long pages.
PAID MEDIA
Bought media, the channels through which content and messages are delivered, as opposed to earned media.
PANELS
Visually and thematically-defined sections of a Web page. Panels are frequently placed in the left and right margins of pages. Panels often contain navigation aids, including related links. Content is not usually placed in left or right panels.
PAPER PROTOTYPING
A prototyping method in which paper models are used to simulate computer or web applications.
PARAGRAPH
An HTML element that indicates a body of text, intended for displaying text created in a WYSIWYG editor.
PARALLEL DESIGN
A design methodology that involves several designers pursuing the same effort simultaneously, but independently, with the intention to combine the best aspects of each for the ultimate solution.
PAY PER ACTION (PPA)
In online advertising, a pricing model in which the advertiser pays only for specified constituent actions, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
PAY PER CLICK (PPC)
In internet advertising, you can purchase advertising space on someone’s website, but instead of paying a flat monthly rate, you pay a small amount each time someone clicks on your advert link that takes them to your website.
PERMALINK
Short for ‘permanent link’. Generally used only on blogs, a permalink is a link that is the permanent web address of a given blog post. A permalink offers a way for readers to bookmark or link to specific posts.
PHYSICAL CONSISTENCY
Physical consistency refers to the ‘look and feel’ of a Web site. Physically consistent Web pages will 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 on the site.
PLUGIN
A plug-in is a bit of third party code that extends the capabilities of a website. Plug-ins are a way to extend the functionality of a website without having to redo the core coding of the site.
PRODUCT DESIGN
Design of consumer products that consider usability, human factors, ergonomics, and appearance while still maintaining function. Also referred to as ‘Industrial Design’.
PROGRAMMATIC BUYING
In advertising, an algorithmic bidding system for targeting individual consumers instead of aggregate audiences.
PROPORTIONAL FONT
Type with spacing apportioned according to the shape and width of the character.
PROTOTYPE
A preliminary model or archetype of a web page or website used to demonstrate or test the user experience and various task flows.
R
RADIO BUTTON
A screen-based control used to select one item from a list of mutually-exclusive items (i.e., use radio buttons when only one item in a list of several items can be selected).
RANKING
The ranking is a term related to search engines. When someone searches for something using a search engine, they will receive pages and pages of results. Where a specific site appears in those results is its ranking.
RAPID PROTOTYPING
Quickly generating mockups of what a system will look like to facilitate internal review or testing.
READABILITY
The degree to which users can easily and accurately read information on a web page.
REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION (RSS)
RSS is a standardized XML format that allows content to be syndicated from one site to another. It’s commonly used on blogs. RSS also allows visitors to subscribe to a blog or other site and receive updates via a feed reader.
RECIPROCAL LINKS
When website A links to website B and B links back to A and both link to the other on the condition that they receive a link back, this is reciprocal linking. If site A removes the link to site B, site B removes its link to site A & vice versa.
RESPONSIVE DESIGN
A web design approach aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience across platforms and devices.
ROLLOVER
A rollover is an action that happens when a user places his or her mouse over a particular element that has a rollover effect applied to it. The mouse action causes the element’s appearance to change into a different image, colour or font.
S
SANS SERIF TYPEFACE
A typeface without the small decorative serif strokes. Sans serifs tend to look more modern, stylish, and cleaner than their serif counterparts.
SCANABILITY
How easy it is to read and understand a body of text.
SCROLL BAR
The scroll bar is visible along the right edge of common browsers. It is defined by a movable box that runs on a vertical or horizontal axis.
SCROLLING
A method of traversing a Web page wherein users either roll the scroll wheel on their mouse or manually move the scroll bar located on the right side of their browser's screen.
SEARCH ENGINE
A program that collects, stores, arranges and normally ranks the various resources available on the internet. It is most commonly on a website and used to find other websites.
SEARCH ENGINE FRIENDLY
This relates to how well a site has been put together. A search engine friendly website is one that search engines can easily read and find all the links on and which search engines ‘like’ because it is properly optimized.
SEARCH ENGINE LISTING
When someone searches for something using a search engine, all the sites that are listed in response to that search have a ‘search engine listing’.
SEARCH ENGINE RANKING
Different to a search engine listing because a listing means the site appears anywhere on the list. Ranking relates to exactly where on the list it appears. Closer to the top means it has a higher ranking.
SEARCH RESULT
When someone searches for something using a search engine, the list of websites and links that the search engine responds with is the search result. The aim of any website is to appear high in the search result.
SEO
Stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’ and very simply refers to the practice of tweaking website coding and content to achieve the highest possible search engine ranking.
SEO (INORGANIC)
Drives traffic to a site and refers to site visits that come from social sites, paid ads, and affiliate marketing.
SEO (ORGANIC)
A natural way to rank a site in the first SERPs without paying for it. It is considered a trustworthy and best way to secure a high rank on SERP.
SERIF TYPEFACE
A typeface with small decorative strokes (called ‘serifs’) is found at the end of horizontal and vertical lines. Serif typefaces tend to look professional, authoritative, and traditional in appearance.
SERP
Search Engine Result pages are web pages served to users when they search for something online using a search engine, such as Google. The user enters their search query, using keywords, upon which the search engine presents them with a SERP.
SERVER
A server is a computer that is used to house websites and provide a physical storage area for websites and emails. Without a server, your website would not be viewable to the world.
SIMILARITY
The perception that elements of the same size, shape or colour belong together.
SITEMAP
This is an index of all the content on a website. It is normally accessible from at least the front page of the site and is used for two purposes: to help people find what they are looking for and to help search engines find all your links.
SMO
Stands for ‘Social Media Optimization’ and is the use of a number of outlets and communities to generate publicity to increase the awareness of a product, service brand or event (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube).
SOCIAL MEDIA
Web-based and mobile technologies that use multi-way communications to build communities and tribes.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
A business discipline that uses social media to establish brand tribes and communicate marketing messages.
SOCIAL NETWORK
A community of individuals or organizations, technically known as nodes, that are connected through ties of friendship, kinship, economic interest, status or other interdependencies.
STORYBOARD
A visual representation of how a user will interact with an application or interface.
STYLE GUIDE
A style guide is a document that includes all of the colours, fonts, and branding guidelines for a website, brochure, book or complete brand.
STYLE SHEET
A set of statements that specify the presentation of a document. Style sheets may have three different origins: they may be written by content providers, created by users, or built into browsers or plug-ins.
SUBPAGE
Any page on a website that isn’t the home page. Depending upon context, it could refer to pages ‘underneath’ one of the pages in the main navigation.
T
TAB
A graphical navigation element that is most often placed at the top of a Web page. Effective tabs should be designed so that they resemble real-world file folder tabs.
TAG
A tag is a set of markup characters that are used around an element to indicate where it starts < > and ends </ >. Tags can also include HTML or other code to specify how that element should look or behave on the page.
TAGLINE
A phrase or short sentence placed directly below a 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.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The set of users for which a system is designed or intended.
TASK
A procedure that includes goals, steps, skills, start state, inputs, end state, and outputs to accomplish an activity.
THUMBNAIL IMAGE
A small copy of a larger image.
TYPOGRAPHY
The artistic arrangement of type in a readable and visually appealing way. Typography usually concerns the design and use of various typefaces in a way that helps to better visually communicate ideas.
U
UI
The user interface is anything a user may interact with to use a digital product or service. This includes everything from screens and touch screens, keyboards, sounds, and even lights. Also referred to as ‘Graphical User Interface’ (GUI).
UPLOAD
For a website to be visible to the world, it has to be put on the server that is hosting it. This process is called uploading because you are literally loading your information, pages, pictures, etc. up onto the server.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. A URL is a website address that has all the pertinent information for finding the exact location attached to it. https://www.projektid.co is a website’s URL.
USABILITY
Usability refers to how easy it is for a visitor to your site to use your site in its intended manner. Easy to use navigation, content, images, and any interactive elements, functioning the way they were intended.
USER INTERFACE STRUCTURE
The basic content organization and its navigation model.
USER-CENTERED DESIGN (UCD)
An approach to designing a product or service, such as user interface design, in which the end-user is placed in the centre of the process.
UX
User experience, or the look, feel and usability of a product, service, website or other artefacts.
V
VIEWPOINT
The visible area of a web page on a device – think desktop, tablet, and mobile.
W
WATERFALL MODEL
A linear design process whereby, steps are completed and the project passes onto the next phase with an evaluation completed at the end.
WCAG
According to the Web Accessibility Initiative, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
WEB PAGE (PAGE)
Just one page rather than a complete website. A page is not the same as, for example, the page in a book. The length is not limited by a fixed height and width, but by user-friendliness, good practise and practicality.
WEBSITE
The actual website itself. The website is the content that dictates what people see and do when they go to your website address, normally containing a number of web pages, not just one page.
WEBSITE ADDRESS
This is the location of your website and is normally typed as www.the-name-of-the-website.com
WHITE SPACE
This term is commonly mistaken for actual ‘white’ coloured space. White space could be red, green or any colour. It refers to the space around elements. White space allows the elements to stand out to the user.
WIDGET
Screen-based controls that are used to interact with a Web site and other systems. Widgets include pushbuttons, selection lists, radio buttons, sliders, and so on.
WIREFRAME
A highly simplified sketch of the important information in a page. Also known as page architecture, page schematic, or blueprint.
WWW
World Wide Web. Another name for the Internet.
WYSIWYG
An acronym for ‘What You See Is What You Get’. It describes the way in which the layout on the graphical screen is a representation of the printed version of the document.
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