Cultural Theory
The study of cultural norms, values, and practices and their influence on human behavior. Useful for designing products that are culturally sensitive and relevant.
The study of cultural norms, values, and practices and their influence on human behavior. Useful for designing products that are culturally sensitive and relevant.
The level of sophistication and integration of design practices within an organization's processes and culture. Essential for assessing and improving the effectiveness of design in driving business value and innovation.
Activities that give the appearance of innovation but do not produce tangible results. Important for recognizing and avoiding ineffective innovation efforts.
The set of shared values, practices, and goals that characterize a startup company. Important for fostering innovation, agility, and a collaborative environment within product design teams.
A business culture that prioritizes product development and innovation as the key drivers of growth and success, often involving cross-functional collaboration. Crucial for fostering innovation and ensuring that product development is aligned with business objectives.
An organizational environment that encourages and supports creative thinking, risk-taking, and the pursuit of new ideas. Essential for fostering continuous improvement and breakthrough advancements.
A group of people who share a common interest or profession and engage in collective learning through regular interactions, sharing knowledge, and developing expertise together. Essential for fostering collaboration, continuous learning, and the dissemination of best practices within a specific field or discipline.
A philosophical approach to culture and literature that seeks to confront the social, historical, and ideological forces and structures that produce and constrain it. Valuable for analyzing and addressing power dynamics and biases in design.
The practice of being open and honest about operations, decisions, and business practices, fostering trust and accountability. Essential for building trust with users and stakeholders and ensuring ethical business practices.
Culture, Automation, Lean, Measurement, and Sharing (CALMS) is a framework for guiding the implementation of DevOps practices. Important for fostering a DevOps culture and improving collaboration, efficiency, and continuous improvement in product design teams.
The process of transitioning an organization to agile methodologies, including changes in culture, processes, and practices. Essential for organizations seeking to adopt agile practices for improved efficiency and responsiveness.
A qualitative research method that studies people in their natural environments to understand their behaviors, cultures, and experiences. Crucial for gaining deep insights into user behaviors and contexts.
A process decision toolkit that allows organizations to tailor their agile practices to their specific needs, promoting agility and continuous improvement. Crucial for optimizing agile practices to fit organizational contexts.
A broader, more informal community of interest that spans across the entire organization, focusing on shared topics such as agile practices or UX design. Valuable for cross-functional learning, knowledge sharing, and promoting a unified approach to common challenges.
The study of cooking techniques, ingredients, and the cultural significance of food, providing insights into creativity and innovation in other fields. Useful for drawing parallels between culinary arts and design, fostering creativity and innovation.
A structured routine for continuous improvement based on a scientific approach to problem-solving and process optimization. Crucial for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within product design teams.
Numeronym for the word "Localization" (L + 10 letters + N), adapting a product or content to meet the language, cultural, and regional preferences of a specific target market. Essential for ensuring product relevance in different regions.
Numeronym for the word "Internationalization" (I + 18 letters + N), enabling localization for different languages, regions, and cultures without requiring extensive rework. Important for expanding product reach to global markets.
The practice of guiding and inspiring teams to create effective, user-centered design solutions that align with business goals. Crucial for fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in design practices within organizations.
A leadership philosophy where the leader prioritizes the needs of the team, empowering and supporting members to achieve their full potential and fostering a collaborative, inclusive environment. Important for building strong, motivated teams, enhancing collaboration, and promoting a culture of trust and respect within an organization.
The fundamental guidelines and practices that underpin effective change management, ensuring successful implementation of changes. Important for providing a structured approach to change management initiatives.
The practice of guiding and inspiring teams to develop and deliver successful products, often involving strategic vision, team management, and innovation. Crucial for driving product success and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
The visual images, symbols, or modes of representation collectively associated with a subject, often used in design to communicate ideas quickly and effectively. Important for creating cohesive and meaningful visual systems.
SAFe is a framework designed to scale agile practices across large organizations by integrating agile and lean principles. It is widely used but criticized for its rigidity, bureaucratic structure, and potential to stifle true agile culture.
The emotional attachment an employee feels toward their organization, which influences their desire to stay. Useful for understanding employee retention and motivation in organizational design and management.
An approach that places the user's needs, preferences, and behaviors at the forefront of all design and development activities. Important for fostering a design culture that prioritizes user satisfaction and engagement.
The rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced by new hires, often used as a measure of organizational health and stability. Essential for understanding workforce dynamics and designing strategies to improve employee retention.
The study of social relationships, structures, and processes. Important for understanding the impact of social dynamics on user behavior and designing for social interactions.
A framework for assessing and improving an organization's ethical practices in the development and deployment of AI. Important for ensuring that AI systems are developed responsibly and ethically.
The practice of promoting and defending the value of design within an organization or community. Crucial for ensuring that design considerations are prioritized and integrated into decision-making processes.
A structured evaluation process where a product's design, functionality, and user experience are assessed, often by peers or experts. Essential for identifying areas for improvement and fostering a culture of continuous enhancement.
Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) is a framework for scaling agile product development to multiple teams working on a single product. It provides a minimalist, large-scale agile approach that maintains the simplicity and effectiveness of Scrum while addressing the challenges of coordination and integration in multi-team environments.
The practice of promoting and representing the needs, interests, and rights of users in the design and development process. Important for ensuring that user needs and perspectives are prioritized in product design and development.
A meeting held at the end of a project or development cycle, also known as a "post-mortem," to review what went well, what didn't, and how processes can be improved in the future. Crucial for continuous improvement and learning from past experiences to enhance future projects.
An ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes over time through incremental and breakthrough improvements. Crucial for fostering a culture of constant enhancement and adaptation.
A cross-functional team that is given the autonomy, resources, and authority to make decisions and take ownership of the product's success, focusing on solving user problems and achieving business outcomes. Important for fostering innovation, accountability, and agility, leading to more effective product development and higher user satisfaction.
A collection of multiple squads working in the same domain or on related projects, typically consisting of 40-150 people. Important for ensuring alignment and coordination across related squads, fostering a larger community with shared goals.
The understanding and proficiency in the principles, practices, and processes of design. Essential for empowering individuals to effectively participate in and critique design processes.
Crit (Design Critique) is a structured feedback session where designers present their work and receive constructive feedback from peers. Essential for refining design quality through collaborative input.
The study of the principles and techniques of art, including visual composition, aesthetics, and the role of art in society. Important for understanding visual design principles and enhancing the aesthetic quality of digital products.
The core values outlined in the Agile Manifesto, including individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change. Fundamental for guiding agile practices and fostering an agile mindset.
Newly developing patterns or shifts in technology, behavior, or design that have the potential to influence future practices and strategies. Important for staying ahead of the curve and adapting to changes in the industry.
A Japanese term meaning "the real place," used in Lean management to describe the place where value is created. Important for understanding the actual processes and identifying areas for improvement.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive management approach focused on continuous improvement in all aspects of an organization. Essential for ensuring high-quality products and services and achieving customer satisfaction.
The process of working together with others to generate creative ideas and solutions, leveraging diverse perspectives and skills. Essential for producing innovative and well-rounded design solutions.
A design principle that suggests using an odd number of elements in a composition to create visual interest and balance. Crucial for creating aesthetically pleasing designs.
Organizational Change Management (OCM) is the process of managing the people side of change to achieve desired business outcomes. Essential for ensuring successful implementation of changes within an organization.
The systematic process of capturing, evaluating, and implementing ideas to drive innovation, reflecting a collective commitment to continuous improvement and product excellence. Essential for harnessing team creativity and maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes successful product development.
The study of the nature of beauty, art, and taste and the creation and appreciation of beauty. Essential for creating visually appealing and engaging user interfaces.
A Lean methodology concept identifying seven types of waste in processes to improve efficiency. Valuable for product managers and engineers to optimize processes and eliminate inefficiencies.
A problem-solving method that involves asking "why" five times to identify the root cause of a problem. Useful for designers and product managers to uncover underlying issues and improve processes and solutions.
A brief daily meeting in Agile project management where team members share updates on their progress, plans for the day, and any obstacles they face. Essential for maintaining communication, transparency, and coordination within Agile teams.
An approach to design that challenges assumptions and provokes thought by creating speculative or provocative artifacts. Crucial for stimulating critical thinking and innovation in design.
Methods and techniques used to overcome mental blocks that hinder creative thinking and problem-solving. Crucial for maintaining productivity and fostering innovation in design.
A systematic evaluation of behaviors within an organization or process to identify areas for improvement and ensure alignment with goals. Crucial for understanding and improving user behaviors and organizational processes.
A memory aid that helps individuals recall information through associations, patterns, or acronyms. Important for designing educational content and interfaces that enhance memory retention.
Work that is not performed in real-time, allowing team members to collaborate without needing to be online simultaneously. Crucial for increasing flexibility and productivity in remote and distributed teams.
The practice of drawing inspiration from sources outside of one's field to generate creative ideas. Useful for fostering creativity and innovation in design and product development.
A design philosophy that views constraints as opportunities for creativity and innovation, rather than limitations. Crucial for fostering a mindset that turns limitations into design strengths.
The integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how it operates and delivers value to customers. Essential for staying competitive and relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.