WSC 2026: Are we there yet?

Indeterminate progress bar

A progress indicator that shows activity without estimating how long a task will take.

Splash screen

A screen briefly shown while an application loads.

Console output

Text-based system messages used mainly by developers for feedback and debugging.

Skeleton screen

A placeholder layout that appears while content is loading, showing the structure in advance.

Throbber

A looping animation that indicates background activity.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The total value of goods and services produced within a country.

Gross National Income (GNI)

GDP plus income earned from abroad minus income paid overseas.

Gini Coefficient

A measure of income inequality within a population.

Human Development Index (HDI)

A composite measure of health, education, and income.

Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

A measure of poverty that includes health, education, and living standards.

Labour Productivity

The amount of output produced per worker or per hour worked.

Happiness Index

A ranking based on life satisfaction and well-being indicators.

Passport Index

A ranking of passports by how many countries can be entered without a visa.

Big Mac Index

A simplified way of comparing purchasing power between countries using the price of a Big Mac.

Eisenhower Method

Prioritising tasks by urgency and importance.

1-2-3 Method

Daily task planning using one big task, two medium tasks, and three small tasks.

Ivy Lee Method

Writing six tasks each day and completing them in order of priority.

4-D Method

Decide whether to Do, Delegate, Defer, or Delete a task.

Eat That Frog

Completing the most difficult or unpleasant task first.

Must-Do

Tasks that are essential and non-negotiable.

Bullet Journal

A flexible planning system combining notes, tasks, and reflection.

The Millerites (1844)

A religious group predicting the Second Coming, which did not occur.

Wodziwob's visions (1869)

Prophecies predicting world changes that failed to materialise.

Halley's Comet Panic (1910)

Public fear that Earth would be poisoned by a comet's tail.

The Jupiter Effect (1974)

A prediction that planetary alignment would cause earthquakes.

Hon-Ming Chen (1988)

A scientist who predicted global catastrophe due to nuclear reactions.

The Y2K bug (2000)

Fear that computers would fail at the millennium due to date formatting.

Large Hadron Collider fears (2008)

Concerns it could create black holes.

Mayan Apocalypse (2012)

A misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world.

Kanban

A visual workflow system using columns to track progress.

Gantt Chart

A timeline showing tasks, durations, and dependencies.

Harmonogram

A detailed scheduling chart used in engineering and construction.

Dependencies

Tasks that rely on the completion of other tasks.

Risk Register

A document listing potential risks and mitigation strategies.

Stakhanovite Movement

A Soviet campaign promoting extreme productivity.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Identifying the longest sequence of dependent tasks.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Estimating project timelines using probabilities.

Waterfall Method

A linear project model with fixed stages.

Command-Control

Centralised decision-making with strict hierarchy.

Toyota Production System

Lean manufacturing focused on waste reduction.

Chaos Engineering

Testing systems by deliberately introducing failures.

Agile Manifesto

Principles emphasising flexibility, collaboration, and iteration.

Six Sigma

A method for reducing defects and improving quality.

Sashimi Model

A variation of Waterfall with overlapping stages.

The Three Ways

Flow, feedback, and continual learning in systems thinking.

"The Phoenix Project" Philosophy

Applying DevOps principles to organisational management.

Taylorism

Scientific management focused on efficiency and standardisation.

Max Weber's Bureaucracy

Organisational structure based on rules and hierarchy.

Ford Assembly Line

Mass production using specialised, repetitive tasks.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Continuous improvement involving all employees.

Hawthorne Effect

People change behaviour when they know they are observed.

Hofstadter's Law

Tasks always take longer than expected.

90-90 Rule

The last 10% of work takes 90% of the time.

Conway's Law

System design mirrors organisational structure.

Putt's Law

Technology works in reverse to organisational hierarchy.

Illich's Law

Over-specialisation reduces efficiency.

Labourit's Law

Humans choose the easiest path to success.

Brooks' Law

Adding people to a late project makes it later.

Sketches

Rough visual ideas.

Storyboarding

Sequential visual planning.

Paper Prototypes

Low-cost physical mock-ups.

Low vs. High Fidelity

Rough vs. realistic design detail.

Wireframing

Layout structure without final visuals.

Mock-up

A detailed visual design.

Proof of Concept

Demonstrating feasibility.

User Testing

Evaluating designs with real users.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

The simplest usable version of a product.

Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)

The smallest feature that delivers value.

Prefrontal Cortex

Brain region responsible for planning and impulse control.

Neural Pruning

The removal of unused neural connections.

Risk-Taking

Increased during adolescence due to brain development.

Neophilia

Attraction to novelty.

Differentiation

Developing individual identity.

Sweet Sixteens

Celebration of coming of age in some cultures.

Fiesta de Quinceañera

Latin American coming-of-age celebration at 15.

Vision Quests

Spiritual rites in Indigenous cultures.

Seijin no Hi

Japanese Coming of Age Day.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Jewish religious coming-of-age ceremonies.

Walkabout

Aboriginal Australian rite of passage.

Khatam al-Qur'an

Completion of Qur'anic study.

Debuts

Formal coming-of-age celebrations.

High School Graduation

Transition to adulthood or further education.

Driver's License

Legal independence milestone.

First Paycheck

Entry into paid work.

National Service

Mandatory civic or military service.

Voting

Legal political participation.

Moving Out

Transition to independence.

Astrolabe

Ancient instrument for determining latitude.

Sextant

Measures angles between celestial bodies.

Log Tables and Ephemerides

Mathematical and astronomical reference tools.

Magnetic Compass

Direction-finding tool using Earth's magnetic field.

Log and Line

Measuring speed at sea.

Chronometer

Precise timekeeping for longitude calculation.

Latitude and Longitude

Global coordinate system.

Magnetoreception

Sensing Earth's magnetic field.

Cryptochromes

Light-sensitive proteins linked to navigation.

Olfactory Navigation

Using smell for orientation.

Echolocation

Navigating by sound reflection.

Zugunruhe

Migratory restlessness.

Constant Frequency

Stable sound signals.