Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
72 results found in user experience.
- End-User Customization (User Customization, Personalisation)
- The ability for users to modify the presentation or behaviour of a digital interface according to their individual preferences and needs. In accessibility, end-user customization is particularly impor…
- Escapism
- The use of entertainment, fantasy, or immersive experiences to temporarily disconnect from real-world concerns, limitations, or stressors. In VR accessibility research, escapism is a significant motiv…
- Experiential Accessibility (Experience-Centric Accessibility)
- An approach to accessibility that goes beyond removing barriers to ensure disabled people can have equitable, meaningful experiences with technology—not just functional access. In the context of exper…
- Extrinsic Motivation
- Extrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity to achieve external rewards, avoid punishment, or meet external expectations rather than for inherent enjoyment. In accessibility and technology …
- Faceted Navigation (Faceted Search, Faceted Browsing, Faceted Filtering)
- A navigation technique that allows users to filter and explore content along multiple dimensions or categories simultaneously, such as by topic, sentiment, date, or rating. In accessibility contexts, …
- Flow (Flow state, Optimal experience, Being in the zone)
- A psychological state of complete absorption in an activity, characterized by focused concentration, loss of self-consciousness, altered sense of time, and intrinsic enjoyment. Coined by psychologist …
- Flow State (Flow, Optimal Experience, Being in the Zone)
- A mental state of complete immersion and focused engagement in an activity, characterized by a balance between challenge level and skill level. In accessible design, achieving flow state is important …
- Glanceability (Glanceable, At-a-Glance Access)
- Glanceability refers to the ability of a user to quickly extract key information from a document, interface, or data display with minimal effort. In the context of accessibility, glanceability describ…
- Heat Map (Heatmap, Attention Map, Gaze Map)
- A data visualization technique that uses colour intensity to represent the distribution and density of user attention or interaction on a page or interface. In eye tracking research, heat maps aggrega…
- Heuristic Evaluation (Expert Review, Heuristic Review)
- A usability inspection method in which a small group of expert reviewers evaluate a user interface against a set of established design principles or heuristics. Originally developed by Jakob Nielsen, …
- Heuristic evaluation (Expert review, Usability inspection)
- A usability and accessibility evaluation method where trained evaluators systematically assess an interface against a set of recognized principles or guidelines (heuristics) to identify potential prob…
- Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR, Immersive VR)
- A form of virtual reality that uses head-mounted displays (HMDs) with near-full field of view, positional tracking, and often gesture-based controllers to create a sense of being physically present in…
- Information Architecture (IA)
- The structural design of information environments, encompassing the organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems that help users find and manage information effectively. In digital accessibi…
- Information Foraging (Information Foraging Theory)
- A theoretical framework from cognitive science that models how people search for and navigate to information, drawing an analogy to animal foraging behaviour. Users assess "information scent" — cues l…
- Information Scent (Information Smell)
- A concept from information foraging theory that describes the strength of cues in a user interface that indicate whether a particular path (link, button, menu item) will lead to desired information or…
- Interaction Logging (Event Logging, User Interaction Logging, UI Event Logging)
- The automated capture and recording of user interface events — such as clicks, keystrokes, focus changes, touch gestures, and scrolling — during a person's interaction with a digital system. In access…
- Interface Personalisation (Interface Personalization, UI Personalisation, Adaptive Interface)
- The ability for users to configure and customise the user interface of a digital system to match their individual needs, preferences, and abilities. In accessibility contexts, interface personalisatio…
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for external rewards or consequences. In accessibility and inclusive design, understanding intrinsic mo…
- Laddering Method (Laddering Technique, Laddering Interview)
- A qualitative-quantitative research method used in user experience research to understand why users value certain product features. Rooted in Means-End theory, the technique involves asking participan…
- Learnability
- A usability attribute measuring how easy it is for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter a design. High learnability means new users can quickly become productive with a system…