Design Glossary

Releasing a nearly finished product to a select user group to gather final feedback before full launch.

Studying rival products/services to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Planning the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content that aligns with user and business goals.

A short, time-boxed process (popularized by Google) to ideate, prototype, and test solutions within days.

An iterative, user-centric approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, ideation, and experimentation.

A four-stage design framework (Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver) from the UK Design Council.

A cyclic process of prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining a product based on feedback.

A quantifiable metric (e.g., conversion rate, churn) used to measure success against specific objectives.

The simplest version of a product that can be released to users for early feedback and validation.

A product release that not only functions but also offers enough delight to satisfy early adopters.

Processes ensuring products meet quality standards and function as expected (e.g., bug checks, usability evaluations).

Quickly creating and iterating prototypes to gather immediate user feedback in early design stages.

Uncontrolled expansion of project scope (features, requirements) that can lead to delays or budget issues.

Humorously refers to a chain of tasks you must complete before you can work on the main goal.