UX Reference · Topic
Interaction and content design
Interaction and content design shape how people understand and use interfaces. These entries cover structure, language, feedback and the effort involved in completing tasks.
31 entries
AffordanceAffordance refers to what an object, interface, or environment makes possible for action, and in interaction design often includes how…Also: Perceived affordance, action possibility, interaction cue
Cognitive LoadCognitive load is the mental effort required to understand information, make decisions, remember details, and complete an interaction.Also: Mental effort, mental workload, interface complexity
Confidence SignalA confidence signal is a user- or staff-facing indication of certainty, uncertainty, reliability, confidence level, or limitation…Also: Uncertainty signal, confidence indicator, reliability signal
Consent ClarityConsent clarity is the extent to which users can understand what they are agreeing to, sharing, authorizing, or allowing at the point…Also: Clear consent, informed consent, consent comprehension
Content ClarityContent clarity is the degree to which written information is understandable, usable, appropriately structured, and suitable for the…Also: Plain language, content usability, clear content
Content DesignContent design is the practice of planning, structuring, writing, and governing content so that users can understand a service and…Also: UX content design, service content design, content strategy for services
Decision ExplanationA decision explanation is a user-facing explanation of a decision, result, rejection, recommendation, status, or action that helps people…Also: Decision reason, explanation of decision, outcome explanation
Empty StateAn empty state is a product, interface, or service state where expected content, data, records, cases, results, tasks, or next items are…Also: Blank state, zero state, no-data state
Error MessageAn error message is user-facing feedback that explains a problem, identifies where it happened, and helps the user recover or correct the…Also: Validation error, form error, error feedback
Error PreventionError prevention is the practice of designing interactions, content, and system feedback to reduce the chance of avoidable mistakes.Also: Preventing errors, error-proofing, input prevention
Error RecoveryError recovery is the ability of users to recognize an error, understand what happened, correct the problem, and continue toward the…Also: Recovery support, error correction, recoverability
Failure StateA failure state is a product, interface, system, or service condition where a process, submission, decision, transaction, data request, or…Also: Error state, failed state, service failure state
Form UsabilityForm usability describes how effectively and confidently users can understand, complete, review, correct, and submit forms under real use…Also: Web form usability, form UX, form design usability
Help TextHelp text is short supporting content placed near a question, field, control, or task step to clarify what the user should do or what…Also: Hint text, field help, inline guidance
Information ArchitectureInformation architecture is the organization, labeling, and structuring of information so people can find, understand, and use it.Also: IA, navigation structure, content structure
Input ValidationInput validation is the process of checking whether user-provided data meets required rules, formats, constraints, or conditions before it…Also: Form validation, field validation, data validation
Interaction ConsistencyInteraction consistency is the extent to which similar interface elements, actions, states, and workflows behave in predictable and…Also: Behavioral consistency, interface behavior consistency, interaction behavior consistency
Interaction CostInteraction cost is the effort a user must expend to complete a task or obtain value from a system, including physical, cognitive…Also: Interaction effort, user effort, task effort
LearnabilityLearnability is the extent to which users can begin using a system, develop understanding, and improve performance with experience.Also: Ease of learning, initial learnability, extended learnability
Mental ModelA mental model is a person’s internal representation of how something works, what actions are possible, and what outcomes to expect.Also: User understanding, internal model, conceptual understanding
Navigation DesignNavigation design is the design of labels, menus, links, pathways, and orientation cues that help users understand where they are, where…Also: Navigation structure, menu design, wayfinding design
Plain LanguagePlain language is communication that users can find, understand, and use the first time they read or hear it.Also: Plain English, clear language, plain writing
Policy LanguagePolicy language is the wording used to communicate rules, eligibility, obligations, rights, restrictions, or procedures from a policy or…Also: Policy wording, regulatory language, administrative language
Progressive DisclosureProgressive disclosure is a design approach that reveals information, options, or complexity in stages so users can understand and act…Also: Staged disclosure, gradual disclosure, layered information
ReadabilityReadability is the ease with which written content can be read and processed, influenced by wording, sentence structure, typography…Also: Reading ease, text readability, readable content
Recovery PathA recovery path is a designed route that helps users, staff, or systems move forward after failure, error, rejection, blocked progress…Also: Recovery route, correction path, support path
Status MessageA status message is user-facing feedback that communicates the state, progress, result, or change of a task or system without necessarily…Also: System status, task status, progress message
Task AnalysisTask analysis is a method for studying what people need to do to achieve a goal, including the steps, decisions, tools, dependencies…Also: Workflow analysis, hierarchical task analysis, activity breakdown
User FlowA user flow represents the sequence of steps, decisions, screens, actions, and system responses a user follows to complete a task or reach…Also: Flow diagram, task flow, interaction flow
User TrustUser trust is the confidence users place in a product, service, system, or institution based on perceived reliability, competence…Also: Digital trust, service trust, online trust
WireframeA wireframe is a simplified representation of an interface that shows structure, content areas, navigation, controls, and functional…Also: Low-fidelity layout, structural screen sketch, interface wireframe