Design terminology
To set a foundation for our discussions with each other, our Truss teammates, and our clients, Derrick and Monica started a list of Truss design terminology. This is not exhaustive, and we should continue to add to it.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Personas | An output of synthesized user research findings that describes an archetypal end-user and their goals, characteristics, pains, and needs. |
| Design sprint | A methodology where a team of designers, engineers, and client stakeholders come together for a week to identify the problem, ideate on solutions, and test with users. |
| Service blueprint | A diagram that displays the customer experience, their touch points within a service, and a detailed look into the people, technology, and processes that support that experience. There are several swimlanes in a service blueprint separated into the frontstage (what impacts the customer directly) and the backstage (activities that a customer does not see but support the experience). |
| Insight | A synthesized piece of research based on data and / or observation that explains the user’s context, dilemma, why this is a problem, and an ideal. |
| Design system, pattern library | A design library/guideline/document based on the design that is used in a project. These guidelines can reside either as a design file or hosted on a website as a reference for anyone who wants to understand the design patterns of the project. |
| Sketches | Sketches are quick drawings on paper used to flesh out concepts to see if they are viable. Not to be confused with Sketch software which is used for wireframes or design assets. |
| Wireframe | Wireframes are like a blueprint of the product and features before visual design is applied, showing how interactions and user journey would play out. |
| Design assets/mockups | Detailed design assets and mockups specify exactly how the design should be visually. May include details on fonts, colors, spacing between elements, etc. |
| Prototype | Prototype could mean clickable wireframes, clickable design comps, or an HTML static site that demonstrates the interaction intended by the design. |
| Usability testing | A method of evaluating a product by testing it with target users and observing how they use it |