Welcome to the Tiller Glossary, your inside track to understanding concepts and jargon related to
branding, design, development, marketing, and more.
Term of the day
WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get.” It describes a web editor that allows you to do just that—edit your website text and multimedia in the exact same format it will be published in.
Featured terms
Brand strategy involves translating your technical offering into a clear value proposition and backing it up with a messaging framework and brand personality you can own.
Otherwise known as link text, a link title, or a link label, anchor text can be described as clickable words or phrases within a hyperlink that connects two web pages.
Database tools that help users find content on the World Wide Web. Once a user enters a keyword or search query, search engines curate a list of the most relevant webpage URLs, images, or videos, known as the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
The top portion of a webpage that is visible to a visitor without scrolling. It’s the area that appears immediately when the page loads, typically on desktop and mobile devices.
CMYK stands for the four primary ink colours used in full-colour printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get.” It describes a web editor that allows you to do just that—edit your website text and multimedia in the exact same format it will be published in.
A Content Management System, also known as a CMS, is a software program, usually a website or app, allowing teams to build, modify, and publish website content in real time – with minimal code required.
A bounce rate is the percentage of website visitors who land on a web page and leave the page without taking any action.
Graphic designers manage the visual identity of a brand from the logo to the colour palette to the illustrations. Graphic design is often used in a wide range of marketing materials.
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the exercise of increasing the number of website or mobile app users who perform a desired action.
User experience (UX) design is the process of creating user-friendly products that provide end-users with an easy-to-navigate and relevant digital experience.
Logos imbue your brand’s overarching messaging, feeling, or story within one graphic or glyph.
Brand identity guides the visual elements that distinguish your brand in a sea of competitors.
Brand guidelines outline the tools, defined rules, and standards for communicating your brand.
Brand development is the continuous process of defining, refining, and testing your overall brand strategy.
Mobile and web application development is the process of creating software that helps the end-user perform specific tasks.
An application programming interface (API) connects the flow of data between two or more computers or software applications. In other words, API integrations allow your programs and devices to talk to each other.
WordPress is an open source content management system (CMS) used to build and manage business websites, eCommerce stores, blogs, and more.
Information architecture is the structure and organization of content in a digital experience (e.g. software, website, or mobile app).
A sitemap (HTML or XML) is a file that contains a list of pages on your website.
Web design is the process of strategizing and creating an online user experience that will connect with your target audience.
A website footer is a content band located at the very bottom of each page on your website that contains helpful information for web users.
Backlinks are links from one website to another. Backlinking is an important factor for SEO that can help improve domain authority and search ranking.
Off-page SEO is a search optimization strategy that happens outside of your website. Factors include link building, social media shares, Google reviews, and more.
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing web page content and HTML to improve organic search traffic and boost search engine rankings.
Content marketing is a form of online marketing that includes infographics, web pages, educational articles, podcasts, webinars, videos, and e-books.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website to increase the quantity and quality of your traffic via organic search engine results.
A title tag is the clickable title of a webpage that appears on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and in a browser tab.
In a Search Engine Results Page (SERP), the short descriptions found below the page titles and URLs are referred to as meta descriptions.
The 3-click rule is an official and unsubstantiated design rule that states that a user should always be able to find their desired information within three clicks or less.
Annotations are comments or notes of explanation. Wireframe annotations add context around design elements, functionality, user flow, rationale, and more.
The F-shaped pattern is a common left to right, top to bottom pattern of eye-movement that readers use when reading or scanning a web page.
A 5-second test is a form of usability testing that tests how effectively a message is communicated through design.
Mobile wireframes are low-fidelity blueprints for a mobile application.
A heuristic is a practical approach to problem-solving. Usability heuristics help assess the usability of user interface (UI) design and inform improvements.
Usability engineering is a professional discipline focused on optimizing the interactions between people and interactive systems.
Whiteboarding is the process of brainstorming and visually collaborating on ideas in a shared space. It can be done using a physical whiteboard and dry-erase markers, or with digital whiteboard software.
Mockups are mid to high-fidelity static visual designs that demonstrate the basic content layout, color schemes, typography, white spacing, and user navigation of a web design.
A mobile app mockup is an in-between stage between a wireframe and a developed prototype. Mockups present finished design – including colour palette, typography, imagery, layout, button styles, etc.
Low-fidelity prototyping is a fundamental phase in the web design process. Ideas and concepts are presented using simple lines and shapes without concern for aesthetics or detailed content.
User-centered design ensures that every touchpoint a user has with your product or website is meaningful.
Any display elements that can be customized and that are independent of apps on the device, are referred to as System UI.
Interaction design is the design of interactions between a user and a digital product or website. It plays a critical role in the overall user experience design.
Wireframing is an efficient and low-cost way to visually represent the structure and layout of a product or website before progressing further into design and development.
Prototyping is a crucial phase of any design project that uses an interactive, navigable version of wireframes to simulate how the final product will work.
Usability testing is a product testing method where users are asked to perform specific tasks while someone observes and gathers results that will inform product revisions.
UI sketching is the process of drawing out your user interface ideas before diving deeper into the design process. It can be done with pen and paper or with a variety of online tools.
Usability is the degree of ease a user has when using your website or product. The more effective, efficient, and user-friendly a website is, the more satisfied the users will be.
Customer experience is the sum of all interactions a customer has with your brand throughout the customer journey, both direct and indirect.
A minimum viable product (MVP) is an early version of a product that is launched into the market with just enough features to attract early customers and begin collecting valuable information.
Responsive web design is a method that uses coding strategies to optimize a website’s layout for viewing on various devices (desktop, tablet, and mobile).
User interface (UI) design encompasses the visual elements a user sees and how they interact with them. Great UI makes for a visually stunning website that is accessible and easy to use.
The Gestalt Principles are based on the concept that the human eye perceives the whole shape of something differently than each part of the shape. They help explain how our brains make sense of design.
Branding is the process of creating a uniquely identifiable company or product and promoting it via marketing and advertising. It includes the name, logo, and overall design.
A graphical user interface (GUI) is an interface through which a user interacts with visual elements like icons or buttons on the screen of an electronic device using a pointer, keyboard, or touch screen.
Lean UX is a highly collaborative, iterative, design technique that focuses on solving specific user experience problems within the constraints of development sprints.
Brand equity is the value a company gains from a consumer’s positive perception of their brand compared to a generic equivalent.
Term of the day
WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get.” It describes a web editor that allows you to do just that—edit your website text and multimedia in the exact same format it will be published in.
