Your Pocket Guide to User Experience Terminology
Use this web glossary to quickly reference common terms in the field of user experience.
We divided this glossary into sections based on the stages of the UX design process. You can also browse terms related to UX Laws & Heuristics, Accessibility & Inclusion, and UX Trends.
Click the learn more button below each term to find additional information on that topic.
The letters “UX” stand for “user experience.” UX refers to a broad and multidisciplinary field dedicated to improving user interactions with systems.
Although UX professionals can work with any product, most focus on digital systems like mobile apps and websites.
UX is more than making a product or service “user-friendly.” It is about crafting meaningful experiences that help users achieve their goals, big and small.
To design great products, UX professionals must research their user base and test the designs they create. They work cyclically to bring their designs closer to what users need.
Many people get these terms mixed up. Here’s a quick breakdown of their relationship:
UX: stands for “user experience.” UX designers think about the user’s entire journey with a system. A user’s experience is determined by the system’s usability, usefulness, emotional impact, and meaningfulness.
UI: stands for “user interface.” The user interface includes any elements you can interact with, such as a search bar or buttons on a screen. Most UI designers focus on perfecting the visual elements of a product and getting user interactions just right.
Learn More About UI DesignUsability: one aspect of user experience. Usability measures of how well a specific user in a specific context can use a design achieve a specific goal. Usability includes concepts like: