Glossary

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Above the Fold(also: Above-the-fold, First Screen Content)

Content that is visible on a web page without requiring the user to scroll. The term originates from newspaper publishing where important headlines appeared above the physical fold of the paper. In digital accessibility and usability, above-the-fold placement is significant…

CSS Media Queries(also: Media Queries, Responsive Breakpoints)

A CSS feature that allows stylesheets to apply different rules based on characteristics of the user's device or viewport, such as screen width, resolution, color capability, or user preferences like reduced motion and high contrast. Media queries are foundational to responsive…

Classical Aesthetics(also: Classical Design Aesthetics)

A dimension of visual aesthetics in web design characterised by simplicity, clarity, orderliness, and visual cleanness. Classical aesthetic principles are rooted in early visual design traditions that prioritise clean layouts, minimal complexity, and clear organisation of…

Expressive Aesthetics(also: Expressive Design Aesthetics)

A dimension of visual aesthetics in web design characterised by creativity, originality, visual sophistication, and design ingenuity. Identified by Lavie and Tractinsky as one of two main dimensions of perceived web aesthetics, expressive designs tend to be more complex and…

Font Size(also: Text Size, Type Size, Point Size)

The measurement of how large characters in a typeface are displayed, typically expressed in points (pt), pixels (px), or relative units (em, rem). Font size is a critical accessibility concern because text that is too small creates barriers for people with low vision, older…

Guided Tour(also: Guided Tour Navigation, Linear Navigation Pattern)

A web navigation pattern that sequentially links content pages in a collection, allowing users to browse items one by one using next and previous controls rather than returning to an index page between each item. Guided tours reduce the cognitive and mechanical overhead of…

HHS Usability Guidelines(also: Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines, Usability.gov Guidelines)

A comprehensive set of evidence-based web design and usability guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines cover areas including homepage design, page layout, navigation, scrolling, headings, links, text appearance, content…

Information Architecture(also: IA)

The structural design of information environments, encompassing the organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems that help users find and manage information effectively. In digital accessibility, information architecture plays a critical role in ensuring that content…

Relative Font Sizing(also: Relative Units, Scalable Typography, Flexible Font Sizes)

The practice of specifying text sizes using relative units (such as em, rem, or percentages) rather than absolute units (such as pixels or points), allowing text to scale when users adjust their browser or system font size settings. Relative font sizing is an important…

Responsive Design(also: Responsive Web Design, RWD, Mobile First Design)

A web design approach in which layouts, images, and other content elements adapt fluidly to the size and capabilities of the user's device, providing an optimal viewing experience across desktops, tablets, and mobile phones without requiring separate versions of a site.…

Visual Fragmentation(also: Visual Grouping, Visually Fragmented Grouping)

The design practice of organizing web page content into distinct visual groups using layout techniques such as background colors, tables, spacing, horizontal lines, and borders. Sighted users perceive these groupings at a glance and understand their roles (navigation, main…

Web Aesthetics(also: Visual Aesthetics, Website Aesthetics)

The study and application of visual appeal in web design, encompassing how users perceive and respond to the visual qualities of websites. Research has identified two main dimensions of web aesthetics: classical aesthetics (characterised by simplicity, clarity, and orderliness)…

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