In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital world, the realms of web design and development are filled with terminologies that can seem bewildering to the uninitiated. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, a budding designer, or a business owner striving to understand the intricacies of your website, having a clear grasp of the jargon is essential.
Our comprehensive glossary is curated to shed light on the myriad of terms, acronyms, and phrases that are integral to this industry. From the foundational elements like HTML and CSS to the nuances of UX and UI design, this resource aims to demystify the technical vernacular, making it more accessible to all. Consider this your handy guide, a dictionary to the digital realm, ensuring that you’re never left puzzled by any term in a web design or development conversation.
Dive in, explore, and empower your digital journey with clarity and confidence.
Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities.
AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML): A technique allowing web pages to be updated asynchronously by exchanging data with a server.
API (Application Programming Interface): A set of rules that allow different software entities to communicate with each other.
Backend: The server-side part of a website which includes the database and server itself.
Bootstrap: A popular framework for building responsive and mobile-first websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Breadcrumbs: A secondary navigation system that shows a user’s location in a site.
Browser: Software used to access and view websites, e.g., Chrome, Firefox.
Bug: An error or flaw in a website or program that causes it to produce an unexpected result.
Cache: Stored web data to speed up subsequent retrievals.
CMS (Content Management System): Software used to manage the creation and modification of digital content, e.g., WordPress.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): A language used for describing the look and formatting of a document written in HTML.
CTA (Call to Action): A prompt that tells the user to take some action, like ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Buy Now’.
Database: A structured set of data stored electronically.
Domain: The web address where visitors access your website.
DNS (Domain Name System): The system that translates domain names to IP addresses.
E-commerce: Online trading or sales of products and services.
Favicon: A small, iconic image that represents your site.
Font-family: A set of fonts grouped together.
Footer: The lower part of the website, often containing links, contact info, and copyrights.
Frontend: What the user interacts with directly – everything they see on the web page.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A protocol for transferring files between computers.
Framework: A platform for developing software applications.
Grid system: A structure used for designing web layouts.
Header: The top part of a website, often containing the logo, navigation, and some call to action.
Hosting: Providing storage space and access for websites.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): The standard markup language for creating web pages.
HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure): An encrypted version of HTTP.
JavaScript: A programming language used to make web pages interactive.
JQuery: A fast, small, and feature-rich JavaScript library.
Landing page: A single web page that appears in response to clicking on a search engine result or advertisement.
Lazy loading: Loading images or other resources as they’re needed rather than all at once.
Meta tags: Snippets of text that describe a page’s content.
Mobile-first: A design strategy that starts with mobile design before designing for desktop or other devices.
Navigation: The system that allows users to move from one part of a website to another.
Open-source: Software whose source code is made freely available.
Parallax: A scrolling technique where background images move slower than the foreground images, creating an illusion of depth.
PHP: A server-side scripting language used for web development.
Plugin: A piece of software that adds specific features to an existing program.
Responsive design: Designing websites so they look and function well on various devices.
RGB: Red, Green, Blue – a color model.
Schema: A code (usually in the form of JSON-LD or microdata) that helps search engines understand content better.
SDK (Software Development Kit): A set of tools used for developing applications.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of optimizing websites to make them reach a high position in search results.
Server: A computer or computer program that provides data, resources, or services to other computers.
Sitemap: A list of pages of a website accessible to users and search engines.
Slider: A rotating set of images displayed on a website.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): Technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client.
Template: A preset format or structure for a document or file, used so that the format does not have to be recreated each time it is used.
UI (User Interface): Everything designed into an information device that a human interacts with.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The address of a webpage.
UX (User Experience): The overall experience a person has using a product, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.
Viewport: The user’s visible area of a web page.
Webform: An area available for users to input data.
Web server: A server that hosts an application or website.
Widget: A small application with limited functionality that can be installed and executed within a web page by an end-user.
Wireframe: A blueprint or sketch of a webpage that showcases its functionality.
WordPress: A free and open-source content management system (CMS).
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get): An editor that allows developers to design their page in real-time.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language): A language that defines rules for encoding documents in a format that is readable for both machines and humans.
Z-index: A CSS property that sets the stack order of specific elements.