| Term |
Definition |
| Above the fold |
The content that appears on a screen without a user having to scroll. |
| Accessibility |
The degree to which a website is available to users with physical challenges or technical limitations. |
| Breadcrumbs |
Links, usually on the top of the page, that indicate where a page is in the hierarchy of the website. |
| Call to action (CTA) |
A phrase written to motivate the reader to take action (sign up for our newsletter, book car hire today etc.). |
| Content audit |
An examination and evaluation of existing content on a website. |
| Content strategy |
In this context, a plan that outlines what content is needed for a web project and when and how it will be created. |
| Convention |
A common rule or tried-and-tested way in which something is done. |
| Conversion |
Completing an action or actions that the website wants the user to take. Usually a conversion results in revenue for the brand in some way. Conversions include signing up to a newsletter or purchasing a product. |
| Credibility |
In this context, how trustworthy, safe and legitimate a website looks. |
| Information architecture |
The way data and content are organised, structured and labelled to support usability. |
| Navigation |
How a web user interacts with the user interface to navigate through a website, and the elements that assist in maximising usability. |
| Prototype |
Interactive wireframes that have been linked together like a website, so that they can be navigated through by clicking and scrolling. |
| Responsive design |
Designing a website so that it changes depending on the device it is displayed on. |
| Search engine optimisation (SEO) |
The process of improving website rankings on search engine results pages. |
| Sitemap |
On a website, a page that links to every other page in the website, and displays these links organised according to the information hierarchy. In UX terminology, this is the visualised structural plan for how the website’s pages will be laid out and organised. |
| Usability |
A measure of how easy a system is to use. Sites with excellent usability fare far better than those that are difficult to use. |
| User-centred design (UCD) |
The design philosophy where designers identify how a product is likely to be used, taking user behaviour into consideration and prioritising user wants and needs, and placing the user at the centre of the entire experience. |
| User experience design (UXD) |
The process of applying proven principles, techniques and features to create and optimise how a system behaves, mapping out all the touchpoints a user experiences to create consistency in the interaction with the brand. |
| User interface (UI) |
The user-facing part of the tool or platform – the actual website, application, hardware or tool with which the user interacts. |
| Wireframe |
The skeletal outline of the layout of a web page. This can be rough and general, or very detailed. |
