Affordance refers to the perceived and actual properties of an object—physical or digital—that suggest how it can be used. In User Experience (UX) design, affordances are visual or behavioral cues that intuitively guide users toward taking specific actions, such as…
Bait and Switch is a deceptive dark pattern in UX where users are enticed by an appealing offer, feature, or price—the bait—but are ultimately presented with a less favorable or entirely different outcome—the switch. This tactic misleads users into taking…
Competitive Benchmarking is the strategic process of comparing a product, service, or user experience against direct and indirect competitors to evaluate relative performance, identify strengths and weaknesses, and uncover opportunities for improvement. In UX, it focuses on assessing how your…
Confirmshaming is a dark pattern in user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design where users are manipulated into taking a desired action—typically by using guilt-inducing or emotionally charged language in opt-out options. This tactic shames users into compliance by…
End-User Experience (EUX) refers to the overall perception, satisfaction, and emotional response a person has when interacting with a product, service, or system. It encompasses every touchpoint—from initial interaction to long-term use—and measures usability, accessibility, performance, aesthetics, and emotional engagement.…
Feature Inspection is a usability evaluation method where individual features of a product or application are systematically assessed for their usability, functionality, and effectiveness within the context of end-user tasks. Rather than evaluating the entire system holistically, feature inspection focuses…
Information Architecture (IA) in User Experience (UX) is the practice of organizing, structuring, and labeling content in a way that makes information easy to find, navigate, and understand. It serves as the blueprint for a digital product’s content structure, helping…
Iterative Refinement is the continuous process of revisiting, revising, and enhancing solutions based on feedback, data, or calculated residuals. In UX and numerical computing, this method ensures that designs, systems, or calculations evolve through successive improvements to achieve optimal results…
A Sitemap is a hierarchical visual or coded representation of the structure and content of a website or application. It illustrates how individual pages or screens are organized and interconnected, serving as both a planning tool for UX and a…
A Usability Audit, also known as a UX Audit, is a structured evaluation of a digital product’s interface—such as a website or app—to identify usability issues and suggest improvements. The goal is to ensure the product is easy to use,…