UI & UX UNIT 1 Design Foundations

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the foundations of UI/UX design, the 5 stages of the design thinking process, cognitive thinking styles, and observational empathy techniques.

User Experience Design (UX)

The process of creating a product that is easy to use, easy to interact with, and accessible for users while prioritizing their feelings on a long-term and short-term scale.

User Interface Design (UI)

The design of user interfaces for machines and software, like computers and mobile devices, focusing on maximizing usability and the look, feel, presentation, and interactivity of a product.

Design Thinking Process

A non-linear, iterative approach consisting of five key stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

Tim Brown

The individual who originally coined the term 'design thinking' in the 90s.

Wicked Problem

A term coined in 1973 by Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber to describe complex problems that are difficult to define and cannot be solved by conventional methods.

IDEO

The international consulting firm founded in 1991 credited with helping to bring design thinking to the mainstream.

Empathy (Stage 1)

The stage where design teams set aside biases to gain a deeper understanding of real users and their needs through direct observation and engagement.

Empathy Map

A visualization tool that summarizes a user’s thoughts, actions, and feelings to facilitate deep user insights.

Define (Stage 2)

The phase where designers analyze gathered data to identify the issue and create a clear, concise human-centered problem statement.

The 5 Whys Method

An iterative, interrogative technique used during the define stage to discover the root cause of a specific problem.

User Personas

Archetypes built from data gathered during the empathy stage to represent the needs of a target audience.

Ideate (Stage 3)

The stage where designers explore solutions using creative, outside-the-box thinking without concern for technical details or budgetary constraints.

Brainwriting

An ideation technique where team members write ideas on paper then pass them to others to develop further within a time limit.

Round-Robin Brainstorming

A two-step collective approach beginning with a 'How Might We' prompt and developing ideas through an iterative circular process.

SWOT Analysis

An ideation tool used to identify the strengths, weaknesses, external opportunities, and threats of an idea.

Prototype (Stage 4)

The creation of scaled-down versions of a product, such as sketches, models, or digital renders, to convey possible solutions.

Wireframe

A low-fidelity prototype that represents the basic visual layout of an interface or product.

Test (Stage 5)

The phase involving real users who try prototypes while design teams observe and gather feedback to see what works or needs revision.

Beta Launch

Releasing a prototype to a limited pool of users to determine usability, detect bugs, and test if the product addresses user needs.

Divergent Thinking

A spontaneous, non-linear method of thinking that takes a challenge and attempts to identify all possible drivers and various ways to address them.

Nominal Group Technique

A structured form of brainstorming where individuals silently generate ideas before sharing and discussing them as a group.

Affinity Mapping

A type of mapping used by researchers to synthesize and organize topics from brainstorming into a visual map of relations.

Convergent Thinking

The structured, linear practice of selecting the optimal solution from a finite set of ideas quickly and efficiently.

Dot-voting

A prioritization technique where participants are given a set number of dots to apply to their preferred choices in a list.

Gamestorming

A set of practices and exercises, combining games and brainstorming, used to facilitate effective and innovative business meetings.

RACI Matrix

A project management tool used to decide who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed about actions and decisions.

Help Me Understand

A gamestorming exercise based on the assumption that employees have different questions, used to solve misunderstandings regarding organizational change.

Beginner’s Mindset

An observational approach where one acts like a 5-year-old by asking 'why,' making no predetermined notions, and being truly curious.

What? | How? | Why?

A method developed by the Stanford D.School used during observation sessions to formulate insights in a tangible way.