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Glossary

  • Tab
    A graphical navigation element that is most often placed at the top of a Web page. Effective tabs should be designed so that they resemble real-world file folder tabs.
  • Tagline
    A phrase or short sentence placed directly below a Web page's masthead. The tagline functions to quickly identify the purpose of the Web site. It may be a subtitle, an organizational motto, or a vision or purpose statement.
  • Target audience
    The set of users for which a system is designed or intended.
  • Target page
    The location in a site where a user will find the information they are seeking. [See also Destination page]
  • Task
    A procedure that includes goals, steps, skills, start state, inputs, end state, and outputs to accomplish an activity.
  • Task analysis
    A method used to identify and understand the activities to be performed by users when interacting with a Web site.
  • Task depth
    The number of levels in a hierarchal structure.
  • Task flow diagrams
    A representation of the various tasks and their interrelationships on a site.
  • Task profile
    An overview of a task and all of its characteristics such as frequency, importance and flow.
  • Task scenario
    Narrative description of how and why a user would interact with an interface.
  • Taxonomy
    How information is organization or classified
  • Think-aloud Protocol
    The process by which a test participant narrates their testing experience with not only what they are doing, but why they are doing it.
  • Thumbnail image
    A small copy of a larger image.
  • Time out
    When entering data that may be sensitive (e.g., credit card or social security numbers), many Web sites will disconnect ("time out") if a user has not interacted with the browser in a set amount of time.
  • Tool tip/Tooltip or Hover help
    Usually a smaller box with information that appears or pops up if a user puts their mouse over a designated graphical element or text.
  • Topology
    The primary way in which pages are linked together.
  • Transcript
    A text only version of what's said in a movie or television program; they are not real time and they generally are limited to speech only; they are not a recommended substitute for captions.
  • Tree structure
    A hierarchical structure where nodes have a parent /child relationship to each other.