Laddering

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Laddering

DescriptionA one-to-one interview technique to uncover the underlying reason behind a user’s behavior or decision

Field of designUxD

Resources f A Ladder Interview (Wikipedia) f Laddering: A Research Interview Technique for Uncovering Core Values (UX Matters)

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Brainstorming

Brainstorming

DescriptionA technique to generate sponta- neous ideas around a specific problem

Introduced byAlex Osborn “Applied Imagination: Principles and Practices of Creative Thinking” (1953)

Field of designUxD

Resources f Facilitated brainstorming (Usability First)

f Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming (Ellen Lupton)

Mapping

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Mapping

DescriptionThe implied relationships between controls and their effects

Field of designSD/IxD

Resources f Natural Mapping (Wikipedia) f The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman)

Big Data Analysis

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Big Data Analysis

DescriptionThe process of examining large and varied data sets to uncover hidden patterns, unknown cor-relations, market trends, customer preferences and other useful information

Field of designUxD

Resources f How Big Data Can Help Designers Create a Better UX (paulolyslager.com)

f Big Data (Wikipedia)

Affordance

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Affordance

DescriptionThe properties of an object which allow its function

Field of designID/IxD

Resources f Affordance (Wikipedia) f The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman)

Personas

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Personas

DescriptionExample characters who represent the user groups of a site, brand, or product

Field of designUxD

Resources f 7 core ideas about personas and the user experience (Measuring usability)

f Introduction to user personas (UX Lady)

Desktop Research

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Desktop Research

DescriptionGathering and analyzing information from existing resources

Field of designUxD

Resources f Desk research: the what, why and how (userfocus.co.uk)

f Secondary research (Wikipedia)

Ethnography

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Ethnography

DescriptionA qualitative research method where behavior is observed in its natural setting

Etymologyfrom Greek ethnos “folk, people, nation” and grapho “I write”

Field of designUxD

Resources f Ethnography in UX (UX Matters) f Making the Most of Ethnographic Research (UX Magazine)

User Journey

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User Journey

DescriptionAn outline of the overall scenario and subsequent steps a user will take while interacting with a product or service

Field of designUxD

Resources f Experience Maps, User Journeys and More (UX Lady)

f How to Create a Customer Journey Map (UX Mastery)

User Story

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User Story

DescriptionIn an agile environment, this tool is used to describe a feature from the end user’s perspective, in simple language

Field of designUxD

Resources f 10 tips for writing good user stories (Roman Pichler)

f User stories: An agile introduction (Agile Modeling)

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Job Stories

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Job Stories

DescriptionDefining design problems based on user motivation and situation can facilitate team discussion about finding the best solution

Field of designUxD

Resources f 5 Tips for Writing a Job Story (Alan Klemen)

f The Dribblisation of Design (Paul Adams)

Anti-Pattern

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Anti-Pattern

DescriptionA common response to a repeated issue, which can be ineffective

Field of designUxD

Resources f Anti-Pattern (SourceMaking) f User Interface Anti-Patterns (UI Patterns)

Gamification

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Gamification

DescriptionThe application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts

Field of designUxD

Resources f Gamification (Wikipedia) f Gamification in UX. Increasing User Engagement. (uxplanet.org)

Requirements Map

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Requirements Map

DescriptionThe requirements gathered by steakholders at a company divided into 3 categories: business, user, and technical

Field of designUxD

Resources f The Beginner’s Guide to Capturing UX Requirements (uxpin.com)

Paper Prototyping

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Paper Prototyping

DescriptionDisposable interface mock-ups, sketched on paper for quick iteration and experimentation

Field of designSD/IxD

Resources f 7 myths about paper prototyping (User Focus)

f Paper Prototyping (A List Apart)

Data Driven Design

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Data Driven Design

DescriptionThe practice of creating a design in which every decision is driven by empirical findings on user preference, goals and behaviors

Field of designUxD

Resources f Getting Started with Data Driven Design (Invision App)

f Six Myths About Data Driven Design (U Mag)

Card Sorting

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Card Sorting

DescriptionA low-tech collaborative exercise used to categorize objects, plan workflows, or define system structure

Field of designUxD

Resources f Card Sorting – A Definitive Guide (Boxes & Arrows)

f Card Sorting (Wikipedia)

Content Strategy

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Content Strategy

DescriptionThe planning, creation and management of content

Field of designUxD

Resources f Content Strategy within the design process (Ceros Blog)

f Content Strategy – Voices that matter (K. Halvorson, M. Rach)

Shadowing

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Shadowing

DescriptionAccompanying a user to observe how they use the product or service within their natural environment

Field of designUxD

Resources f Shadowing in User Research (Interaction Design Foundation)

f Shadowing (designresearchtechniques.com)

Kano Model

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Kano Model

DescriptionA product development theory that classifies features into five areas to aid prioritisation

Areasmust-have/one-dimensional/ attractive/indifferent/reverse

Field of designUxD

Resources f Kano Model (Wikipedia) f Using the Kano Model to prioritize product development (Mind the product)

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Sketching

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Sketching

DescriptionQuick draft of first ideas

Field of designUxD

Resources f Tools for Sketching User Experiences (uxbooth.com)

f 7 reasons for sketching in UX design (Invision App)

Wireframe

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Wireframe

DescriptionThe framework of a design without textures, colors, typo-graphy or graphics

Field of designSD/IxD

Resources f 35 excellent wireframing resources (Smashing magazine)

f A beginners guide to wireframing (Tuts+)

Color Theory

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Color Theory

DescriptionA collection of guidelines and lawsused to evoke emotion, set moods,and manage user attention throughthe application of color

Field of designID/IxD

Resources f Color Theory for Designers, Part I: The Meaning of Color (Smashing Magazine)

f Interaction of Color (Josef Albers)

Aesthetic Usability Effect

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Aesthetic Usability Effect

DescriptionA visually appealing design is perceived to be easier to use

Field of designID/IxD

Resources f Apparent Usability vs Inherent Usability, Experimental analysis on the determinants of the apparent usability (M. Kurosu & K. Kashimura)

f Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better (Donald A. Norman)

Heuristic Evaluation

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Heuristic Evaluation

DescriptionA method used to identify usability problems, by judging adherence to established usability principles

Etymologyheuristic = from Greek heuriskein “find” – enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves

Field of designUxD

Resources f Heuristic evaluation (Wikipedia) f Interaction Design check list (A.Legaspi, A.Jakhut)

Anchoring

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Anchoring

DescriptionA cognitive bias describing the tendency of users to rely too heavily on the first piece ofinformation offered

Field of designUxD

Resources f Anchoring (Wikipedia) f How Anchoring, Ordering, Framing, and Loss Aversion Affect Decision Making (UX Matters)

Five Hat Racks

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Five Hat Racks

DescriptionInformation can be organized infive ways: by category, time,location, alphabet, and continuum

Field of designUxD

Resources f Creating a Framework for Your Ideas (Doug Toft)

f Information Anxiety (Richard S. Wurman – summary by Jon Kolko)

Rapid Prototyping

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Rapid Prototyping

DescriptionThe quick development anditeration of interactive, product or service prototypes, for testing purposes

Field of designID/IxD

Resources f Wireframes are dead, long live rapid prototyping (UX for the Masses)

f Rapid prototyping (Wikipedia)

Thumbnailing

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Thumbnailing

DescriptionQuick sketching of thumb-sized drawings to generate ideas rapidly for industrial design

Field of designID/IxD

Resources f Introduction To Thumbnailing And Quick Sketching (conceptartempire.com)

A/B Testing

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A/B Testing

DescriptionTesting two targeted variations of a single page to analyze which one performs better

AliasSplit testing

Field of designUxD/IxD

Resources f The complete guide to A/B testing (VWO)

f A beginner s guide to A/B testing an introduction (Kissmetrics)

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Eye Tracking

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Eye Tracking

DescriptionTechnology which calculates and records what users are looking at, for the evaluation of user interfaces

Field of designSD/IxD

Resources f Eye Tracking the User Experience (Aga Bojko)

f Eye Tracking (Wikipedia)

User Testing

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User Testing

DescriptionA blanket term for all factors which influence the user’s perception of a product or service

Field of designUxD

Resources f The Disciplines of User Experi-ence Design (Dan Saffer)

f The Elements of User Experience: User-Centred Design for the Web (Jesse James Garrett)

Wizard of Oz

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Wizard of Oz

DescriptionWizard of Oz prototyping is a design methodology used in rapid product development to improve the user experience (UX).

AliasWOZ prototyping

Field of designUxD

Resources f Wizard of Oz prototyping (searchcio.techtarget.com)

f Wizard of Oz experiment (Wikipedia)

Cultural Probes

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Cultural Probes

DescriptionCultural probes use a collection of tools, artifacts and tasks intended to provoke the user to look and think about their environment in new ways.

Field of designUxD

Resources f Cultural Probes (designresearchtechniques.com)

f Cultural Probes: Understanding Users in Context (uxpamagazine.org)

Tunnelling

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Tunnelling

DescriptionGuiding users through a sequence of activities, step by step, to encourage certain behaviors

Field of designUxD

Resources f Designing for Behavioral Change in Health (UX Booth)

f Tunneling (UI Patterns)

Constraints

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Constraints

DescriptionThe practice of limiting user actions on a system in order to make it easier to use

Field of designUxD

Resources f Design fundamentals: Constraints (Webdesigner Depot)

f Universal Principles of Design (Lidwell, Holden and Butler)

5 Whys

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5 Whys

DescriptionAsking Who, What, Where, When, Why for creating a strong argument and delivering a legitimate story.

Field of designUxD

Resources f The five W’s of UX (52weeksofux.com)

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Flexibility – Usability Tradeoff

Flexibility – Usability Tradeoff

DescriptionAs flexibility is increased, usability decreases

Field of designUxD

Resources f Flexible Usability Testing: 10 Tips to Make your Sessions Adapt to Your Clients’ Needs (Nielson Norman Group)

f Universal Principles of Design (Lidwell, Holden and Butler)

Ockham´s Razor

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Ockham´s Razor

DescriptionWhen choosing between two equivalent options, the simplest should be selected

Field of designUxD

Resources f Ockham´s Razor: A Great Principle for Designers (Webdesigners Depot)

f Ockham´s Razor: Simply Sharp Design (Code Project)

Hook Model

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Hook Model

DescriptionA four-phase process that com-panies use to design habit-forming products and services

Field of designUxD

Resources f Hooked: Building Habit-Forming Products (Nir & Far)

f Hooked: How to Make Habit- Forming Products, and When to Stop Flapping (Forbes)

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