Skeuomorphism

The use of design features that are shaped to resemble a familiar object or thing in order to facilitate user interaction.

More terms you might want to know

Tracking

The adjustment of all characters in a line by moving them closer together or farther apart.

x-height

The distance between the baseline and the mean line of lowercase letters in a typeface. Nearby descenders (such as j) and ascenders (such as q) usually extend slightly below or above this height.

Widow

The last line of a paragraph following the rest, or a single line in a paragraph that is out of place with the rest.

Baseline

An imaginary line on which most letters "sit". As such, it equals the height of an em square. The expected result of a baseline is to reference the height with which text is aligned. The alignment ranges from ascenders, which are the upper strokes in b, d, and h, down to descenders like j or y.

Analogous Colours

Colours that have a relation in their hue. A colour wheel can be used to help identify analogous colours. Analogous colours are typically found next to each other on the colour wheel.

Aspect Ratio

The ratio of a rectangle's width to its height. It is measured by dividing the shorter side length, here "w" or width, by the longer side length, "h" or height. The aspect ratio may be given as either a fraction or as a decimal.

Lean UX

A philosophy that companies should take a user-centred approach to design, making sure they focus on the customer's needs and not on their company's needs. UX designers need to figure out what users want before building something and not after. They must also ask themselves if including "features" will provide any value to the product or service.

Body Copy

The main text of an advertisement or editorial as opposed to headings and subheadings.

Cap Height

The distance from the baseline to the top of a capital letter, number, or other upper-case glyphs.

Usability Testing

A process in which subjects use a product or service under test conditions and report their experience.

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