How to speak like a UX Designer in 2023

Mastering the Vocabulary of UX Design

Whether you’re a designer, developer, product manager, or simply someone who is curious about how products and services are designed, here are 10 examples of jargon aka slang that will help you better understand and speak the language of UX.

1 — Wires (or Wireframe): 

The visual representation of a website or app’s layout and content. Typically grayscale to focus on hierarchy and function over visual design. Think the digital world’s version of the blueprints you’re familiar with for architecture.

2—CTA (Call-to -Action):

A button, link, or other element on a website or app that prompts a user to take a specific action. Example: “Subscribe now”, “Download”, “Sign up”, “Book now”, “Shop now”

3—OOBE (Out Of Box Experience):

Refers to the process of setting up and configuring a new product or service, such as a computer, phone, or app, for the first time. The goal of an OOBE is to make the process of setting up a new product as simple and seamless as possible, while also introducing users to the product’s features and capabilities.

4 — Customer (or User) Journey:

A map of the steps a user takes to accomplish a specific task. This goes beyond the device or task you’re focused on. For example: a customer journey for grocery shopping may begin when you’re deciding what you want to eat for lunch.

5—User Flow:

The sequence of steps a user goes through to complete a specific task on a website or app. The user flow captures the entry point through a set of steps towards a successful outcome and final action, such as purchasing a product.

6—Design Thinking:

A problem-solving approach that involves understanding the needs and perspectives of users, generating ideas, and prototyping and testing solutions.

7—Heuristic Evaluation:

A method of evaluating the usability of a product by having experts in the field evaluate it against a set of established usability guidelines. Jakob Nielsen’s 10 general principles for interaction design is a great resource.

8—Information Architecture (IA):

The process of organizing and structuring information in a way that makes it easy to navigate or find. Card sorting and site mapping are two ways to help identify the best way to organize and structure information.

9 — Cognitive load:

The amount of mental effort required to use a product or service. Generally you want to reduce the cognitive load to avoid decision paralysis or abandonment.

10 — Microinteractions:

Small interactions that occur within a website or app, such as a pull-to-refresh gesture. A great way to bring the brand personality to life and add some delight.

What are other examples of UX jargon you’d add to the list? Leave a comment!