UX Terminology #1

50 Research Terms for UX DesignersAs a UX (User Experience)

Designer, there are many terms you should know. These terms will also appear in everyday conversation, presentation, and research. I've included all the terms you'd generally come across with this mini-glossary, sorted from A to Z. I will be updating it with new additions over time.

3 Click Rule

In the open UI - although it is a rule for websites, it is also valid for web / mobile applications - users need to reach the page or action they want with a minimum of clicks. The 3 Click Rule is the theory that users will leave the website if they cannot reach the page they want with 3 clicks.

5 Second Test

It is a 5-second test applied to the participant. An interface to the participant during the testing process-web/mobile site or apps- is displayed. Then the participant should be able to remember what they see on the page. It's a great test method where you can see if the visuals or calls-to-action in the interface are having the right impact.‍

80/20 Rule

It is based on the Pareto principle. Accordingly, 20% of the functionality and features in any UI (mobile / web) will be responsible for 80% of the results. The idea behind this rule is that 80% of the effects of any process come from 20% of the effort put into that process. If we consider this rule in the context of UX;

• 80% of your users use 20% of your features.

• We can give examples where 20% of the code causes 80% of the errors.‍

A/B Testing

For an interface or interface component/part, users are shown two different versions. It is an online quiz where you directly ask users what their preferences are. It can be asked with a direct pop-up/notification, or there are processes where different versions are presented to segmented users and feedback is received.‍

Accessibility

It is the user's ease of understanding and using the UI. Accessibility also refers to how it is adapted for people with disabilities or special needs – color adaptation for the colorblind, increased contrast, color inversion, font size.

Active Listening

It is a technique of carefully listening and observing non-verbal cues – intonation, timing, body language – in user interviews. It is a method of careful listening and understanding, unlike Reflective or Empathetic Listening techniques. The basics of active listening include four techniques:

1- Establishing a connection between the two parties by showing genuine interest and giving your full attention to the other party.

2- Going deeper into the subject through carefully selected questions.

3- Do not try to express the subject you understand in other words.

4- Briefly summarizing the subject for the sake of interaction.

Card Sorting

It is the method used to help design or evaluate the information architecture of an application/website. Participants are asked to categorize the cards in a way that is meaningful to them. You can also ask for tagging. In the card sorting session, you can use papers such as post-it, as well as online tools such as UXTweak, Miro or Optimal Workshop.

Clickstream Analysis

It is the process of collecting and analyzing data about which pages the visitor visits on a website and in what order. It is divided into two as traffic analysis and e-commerce analysis. While traffic analytics works at the server level, e-commerce analytics uses click data to determine the site's effectiveness as a marketing channel.

Competitor Analysis

It is an analysis in which potential or current competitors are examined and their strengths and weaknesses are evaluated. Competitor analysis is especially necessary in order to gain a solid place in the market where competition is intense. Otherwise, it will be impossible to achieve successful results.

Conversion Rate

With conversion marketing on an e-commerce site, the goal is to turn visitors into paying customers. Naturally, the percentage of visitors/paying customers will give this rate. Improving the conversion rate is called conversion rate optimization.

Dairy Study

It is a research method used to collect qualitative data about user behaviors, activities or experiences in the process. This research method can vary from a few days to a month. daily work; It is very useful for understanding long-term behaviors such as habits, use cases, attitudes and motivations, changes in behavior, and customer journeys.

End User

It is the general name given to people who use the mobile application or website or participate in research studies. The meaning of the end user also varies completely depending on what the product or service is. End users are not necessarily the people who buy the products. But end users are the ones who influence whether or not a product should be purchased. It is very important to optimize the products with usability tests so that the end users can make accurate analysis on the product.

Engagement / User Engagement

User interaction refers to how often and for how long a user interacts with your website, app or other product. Getting the user to focus on a page/screen is about getting their attention and keeping it. User interaction measures whether users find value in a product or service. It applies to almost every section/component, whether it's a menu or a CtA.

Error Analysis

Error analysis; It is part of task analysis that identifies the frequency and types of errors that occur for a set of task flow. Errors occur when certain actions cannot be completed in an application or website. As a designer, your main task should be to define mistakes well, to foresee their solutions, to think that users can only make mistakes as human beings.

Error Rate

Error analysis; It is part of task analysis that identifies the frequency and types of errors that occur for a set of task flow. Errors occur when certain actions cannot be completed in an application or website. As a designer, your main task should be to define mistakes well, to foresee their solutions, to think that users can only make mistakes as human beings.

Ethnography / Ethnographic Research

It is the examination of users (or target users) in their own environment by methods such as observation or face-to-face interviews. Ethnography provides the researcher with an understanding of how these users view the world and how they interact with everything around them.

Eye Tracking

It is a measurement of eye activity during the user's screen viewing process. With eye tracking software (also onboard/external camera hardware), it allows the user to follow which areas, frequency and order they look at after the relevant screen is opened.

Fishbone Diagram

It is a diagram that helps visualize the cause-effect relationships between factors in a given flow and possible causes of a problem. Fishbone/Fishbone got its name because of the structure of the diagram. It consists of a head to represent the problem and bones that run along the spine to represent factor(s) groups.

Fitt’s Law

A mathematical model that represents how long it will take to point at the target based on the size (smallness/largeness) and proximity/distance of the target the user will interact with. It is used to design a usable experience by determining the positions and sizes of consecutive interactive elements in the user experience.

Focus Group

A focus group consists of a specially selected group of participants to obtain consumer perceptions about a particular topic or area of ​​interest. To this participant group; It is a discussion through a series of questions about idea, users, products, concepts, prototypes, tasks, strategies and environments.

Free Listing

Free listing is a technique of data collection in a specific area and about a specific topic by asking people to list all the items they can think of about that topic. Free listing can be used in large group settings to understand the content of a domain or collect data.

Gestalt Principles

According to Gestalt theory; The whole means something different from the sum of the parts. On the other hand, we perceive what we see as a whole, not by separating the whole into its parts. The Gestalt principle is also known as the law of simplicity. This theory can be summarized as follows: “The whole is independent of the sum of its parts.” Gestalt Principles, which are the main components of Gestalt theory, are used to explain visual perception in design. These principles are; It is the principle of proximity, similarity, completion, symmetry, common destiny, continuity, good gestalt, and past experience.

Heart Framework

The Heart framework is a set of user-centered metrics. The Google Heart framework is a method for measuring UX, developed based on Google's user experience research. It allows you to measure user experience at scale with metrics of happiness, engagement, adoption, retention, and engagement analysis.

Hick’s Law

In short, we can define it as the decision-making time. It's the time it takes to make a decision when you consider the options you have. Hick's Law says that the more choices you give your users, the longer it will take them to come to a decision. Designers do not use Hick's Law alone in design. They always use it in combination with other design principles to make it work effectively.

Human Factors

Human factors, also known as ergonomics and comfort design; It is the practice of designing by appropriately taking into account the interaction between people who use products, systems or processes. Human factors; It is a combination of several disciplines, including psychology, engineering, interaction design, and user experience. With the concept of human factors, we can give an example of re-imagining something to be more efficient or reducing the mistakes made by humans, or even increasing the security of something.