That word just came up in the meeting.
Do you know what it means?
Hover, carousel, modal, GNB… words the industry throws around as if everyone knows them. You could look each one up — but not in the middle of a client meeting.
This glossary does more than define words. It shows you when each one comes up, what it looks like on screen, and how to ask for it.
How each term is covered
When this comes up
The meeting context that makes the word appear in the first place.
One-line definition
One sentence worth remembering. No essays.
See it
A live example you can click. Faster than reading about it.
Easy to get wrong
Only the parts that actually cause trouble on real projects.
Ask for it like this
A sentence you can copy straight to a client, a developer, or Claude Code.
Categories
Start wherever you like. There is no required order.
01
Layout & structure
How a screen is divided up. The basics of reading a mockup.
14
02
Navigation
Every way a person moves from one screen to another.
16
03
Overlays & feedbackmost often confused
Everything that appears on top of the screen — popups, modals, toasts.
23
04
Inputs & forms
Every control that collects a value from someone.
26
05
Displaying data
Showing information as lists, tables and cards.
15
06
Interaction & states
How things react when pressed, or when the pointer is over them.
19
07
Visual & style
The words for spacing, type, colour and shadow.
17
08
Responsive & devices
How a screen changes between desktop and mobile.
12
09
UX process & deliverables
The work before any screen is drawn, and the documents you hand over.
32
10
Design systems & handoff
Making reusable rules and passing them to development.
11
11
Accessibility (a11y)
The minimum needed for anyone to be able to use it.
10
12
Dev terms for client work
Not design words, but ones you cannot afford to miss in a meeting.
16
Deep dives
Topics one word cannot settle. Work through them step by step.
01
Why "just add a popup" is dangerous
Popup, modal, dialog, alert — the relationship between four words, settled in one go.
6-step walkthrough →
02
Which input control should you use
The answer follows from the number of options and when it saves.
6-step walkthrough →
03
Why one button needs six states
The thing most often missing from a mockup — state.
5-step walkthrough →
04
What happens as you narrow the window
One set of mockups does not finish it. Narrow the width yourself and see.
5-step walkthrough →