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PRODUCT DESIGN
PRODUCT DESIGN
Transform your product approach with ProductPedia's concise glossary of UI/UX and product design terms. Explore key concepts, methods and patterns that help you craft intuitive, delightful experiences for your users.
Product Design Glossary
Adaptive Web
An approach where a site serves layouts tailored to different devices for better usability.
Affinity Diagram
A method to cluster related ideas or observations into logical groups.
Beta Launch
A limited release that exposes a product to real users to gather feedback before general availability.
CMS: Content Management System
A platform that enables content creation, organization and publishing with minimal code.
Card Sorting
A research technique where users group topics to reveal intuitive information structure.
Comparative Analysis
A practice of comparing multiple solutions to highlight differences, strengths and weaknesses.
Competitor Analysis
Systematically examining rivals to understand their strengths, weaknesses and positioning.
Content Audit
A review of existing content to find gaps, redundancies and improvement opportunities.
Contextual Inquiry
Observational research performed in the user's actual environment to uncover real behaviors.
Customer Journey Map
A visual sequence that outlines a user's end-to-end interactions with a product or service.
DPI: Dots Per Inch
A measure of image or print resolution defined as the number of dots in one inch.
Design Thinking
A user-driven approach to problem solving that emphasizes empathy and rapid iteration.
Experience Map
A visual overview capturing user interactions, emotions and opportunities across time.
Focus Groups
Structured group discussions used to collect opinions, attitudes and reactions.
Guerrilla Usability Testing
Quick informal testing done in public or low-friction settings to gather rapid feedback.
HCI: Human-Computer Interaction
The study of how people interact with computers and digital systems.
Heuristic Review
An expert evaluation of a product against known usability principles.
High-Fidelity Prototype
A near-complete interactive model that mimics the final product's visuals and interactions.
IA: Information Architecture
The structure and organization of content so users can find information easily.
IP: Intellectual Property
Legal rights that protect creative works, inventions and brand assets.
Ideation
A creative phase focused on generating many possible solutions to a problem.
Iterative Process
A cyclical method of prototyping, testing and improving a product over multiple revisions.
IxD: Interaction
The practice of designing how users and systems behave when interacting.
Lean UX
A fast, collaborative design method emphasizing experiments and learning.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
A rough, early mock used to validate structure and flow before polishing.
Mockups
Visual representations of a user interface used to preview look and layout.
Moodboard
A collage of imagery, colors and textures that sets the visual direction for a project.
ODM: Original Design Manufacturer
A company that designs and manufactures products that other companies rebrand and sell.
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer
A supplier that produces parts or products that are marketed by another company.
Personas
Representative user profiles that capture typical goals, behaviors and needs.
Project Kickoff
The initial meeting that aligns team goals, scope and timelines for a new initiative.
Prototype
A working or visual model used to test core interactions and validate concepts.
Questionnaires
Structured surveys designed to collect quantitative and qualitative user feedback.
Rendering
The process of generating a final visual output from a model or code.
Research Stage
The initial phase of investigation used to understand users and context.
Sitemap
A visual or XML map that shows how pages and content relate across a site.
Stakeholder Interviews
Conversations with people who influence or are affected by a project to gather goals and constraints.
Storyboard
A sequence of visuals that tells the story of user interaction step-by-step.
UCD: User-Centered
An approach that prioritizes real user needs throughout the design process.
UI: User Interface
The visual and interactive elements that allow users to interact with a product.
UX: User Experience
The overall quality of a user's interactions and feelings when using a product.
Usability Test
A method where representative users perform tasks to identify usability issues.
User Flow Diagram
A diagram that maps the steps a user takes to complete a task.
User Journey
The progression users take with a product from discovery through retention.
Wireframe
A low-detail layout representing structure and content placement for pages or screens.