Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
39 results found in Design Methodology.
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow's Hierarchy, Hierarchy of Needs)
- A motivational theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow that organises human needs into a hierarchical pyramid, from basic physiological needs at the base through safety, social belonging, este…
- Metacommunication (Designer-User Metacommunication)
- In semiotic engineering, metacommunication refers to the overarching communication that takes place between a software designer and a user through the medium of the computer interface. The interface a…
- PICTIVE (Plastic Interface for Collaborative Technology Initiatives through Video Exploration)
- PICTIVE is a participatory paper-prototyping technique introduced by Michael Muller at CHI 1991, in which end users and designers jointly build low-fidelity interface prototypes using pre-cut paper UI…
- Participatory Design with Proxies (PDwP, Proxy Design)
- A variation of participatory design in which people who are familiar with target users or who closely resemble them are included in the design process as proxy participants. Proxies — such as parents,…
- Persona (User Persona, Design Persona)
- A fictional character created to represent a type of user who might interact with a product, service, or website. Personas are grounded in research data and typically include details such as name, age…
- Point of Infrastructuring (PoI)
- A concept from Pipek and Wulf's infrastructuring theory naming the moment at which users become aware of the technology they depend on - typically when it breaks, behaves unexpectedly, or no longer su…
- Reflection-in-Action (Reflection-on-Action)
- A concept from Donald Schön's theory of reflective practice (The Reflective Practitioner, 1983) describing how skilled practitioners adjust their approach in the moment, based on tacit knowledge and i…
- Requirements Gathering (Requirements Elicitation, Needs Assessment)
- The process of collecting and documenting the needs, constraints, and expectations of users and stakeholders to inform the design of a technology system or product. In accessibility and assistive tech…
- Research Probe (Design Research Probe, Technology Probe)
- A purpose-built, partially functional artefact — often a software prototype, sensor, or interactive installation — deployed in a study not primarily to deliver a finished product but to provoke reflec…
- Research-through-Design (RtD)
- A research methodology, articulated by Zimmerman, Forlizzi, and Evenson (2007), in which the act of designing artefacts is itself the mode of inquiry. Knowledge is produced through iterative cycles of…
- Tactile Rendering
- The process of converting visual or spatial information into a tactile format that can be perceived through touch by blind or visually impaired users. Tactile rendering involves decisions about how to…
- Tailorability (Tailorable systems)
- A design property, central to infrastructuring theory, that allows users to configure, extend, or repurpose a system after deployment to fit their local use context. Tailorability goes beyond 'customi…
- Universal Access Reference Model (UARM)
- A conceptual framework for understanding and addressing the full range of user needs in information and communication technology. The Universal Access Reference Model provides a structured approach to…
- Usability Engineering
- A systematic, structured approach to designing and evaluating user interfaces that applies engineering principles to usability. Usability engineering involves defining measurable usability goals, cond…
- User Empowerment (Design for User Empowerment)
- A design philosophy that prioritizes giving users, particularly people with disabilities, the agency and tools to solve their own problems, customize their experiences, and participate as active creat…
- User Sensitive Inclusive Design (USID)
- A design methodology proposed as an alternative to User Centred Design for populations with highly diverse and dynamically changing needs, particularly older people. User Sensitive Inclusive Design re…
- User-Centred Design (UCD, User-Centered Design, Human-Centred Design)
- An iterative design methodology that places the needs, characteristics, and limitations of end users at the centre of each stage of the design process. In accessibility, user-centred design involves p…
- User-System Model (User-System Interaction Model)
- A conceptual model that describes the relationship between a user and the technology system they interact with, taking into account the user's abilities, preferences, and needs alongside the system's …
- Wizard of Oz Study (WOZ Study, Wizard of Oz Method)
- A research method in which participants interact with what they believe is an automated system, but which is actually operated in whole or in part by a human "wizard" hidden from view. The method is u…