The 5 Planes of UX—Strategy, Scope, Structure, Skeleton, and Surface—form a layered framework for user experience design. Conceptualized by Jesse James Garrett, these planes guide the design process from abstract goals to tangible interface decisions. Each plane builds on the…
Accessibility Audit is the process of evaluating a digital product—such as a website, mobile app, or document—for compliance with accessibility standards and guidelines. It involves both automated and manual testing to identify barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from…
Affinity Mapping, also known as an Affinity Diagram, is a visual, collaborative method used in UX to organize large volumes of qualitative data—such as user quotes, observations, and ideas—by grouping similar items into thematic clusters. This technique helps teams synthesize…
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 process of systematically comparing a product, service, or user experience against direct and indirect competitors to measure relative performance, uncover strengths and weaknesses, and identify opportunities for improvement. In UX, competitive benchmarking focuses on evaluating usability,…
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…
Contextual Inquiry is a qualitative user research method that combines observation with in-depth interviews in the user’s natural environment. It aims to understand user behaviors, workflows, motivations, and pain points in context, offering deep insights for user-centered design. Expanded Definition…
Customer Experience Management (CEM), also called Customer Experience Management (CXM), is the practice of managing and optimizing all interactions a customer has with an organization across their entire journey. The goal is to deliver positive, seamless, and personalized experiences that…
DesignOps refers to the orchestration and optimization of people, processes, and tools that support high-impact, scalable, and efficient design work within an organization. It is a discipline that ensures design teams can focus on solving user problems and delivering quality…
In UX design, an edge case refers to an uncommon, rare, or extreme situation that falls outside the typical or expected user journey but still must be handled gracefully by a product or service. Unlike the “happy path” (the ideal…