Glossary » Usability Methods
visual brainstorming
the process of generating a variety of graphical alternatives to a visual design problem, such as generating thumbnail sketches for a screen layout or various alternatives of an icon to represent an abstract concept.
Read more »waterfall model
a traditional linear model of the software development process that suggests each phase of development could be completed independently and pass its results onto the next phase. Thus, a requirements phase would produce a requirements document that would then be…
Read more »website maintenance
long-term support and growth of a website, which may involve: adding new materials, adding new categories and adjusting the organization and navigation, technical support, configuring to support new browsers and internet standards, updating the look, correcting and updating information, etc.…
Read more »wireframe
(website design) a skeletal version of a website or product that represents navigational concepts and page content. The term is used in 2 broad ways:
A static wireframe or page schematic is a single drawing of an individual page template…
Read more »within-subjects design
a study designed to make a comparison of 2 or more designs and that compares them by having each user try each design, measuring their performance for each design. The most common problem is that people learn over time, and…
Read more »wizard of oz prototype
a prototype that only works by having someone behind-the-scenes who is pulling the levers and flipping the switches. The wizard of oz technique in user testing has a user interacting with an interface without knowing that the responses are being…
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