Some of the jargon used in website development and design can be baffling!
Here’s our quick reference guide:
Design Definitions:
Alignment: To arrange text and/or images in a straight line.
Bleed: The area outside the margin that will be trimmed off when the design is printed.
CMYK/RGB: These are colour schemes. CMYK refers to the colours Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black and is associated with digital printing. RGB refers to Red Green Blue which is used with electronic displays such as computer or mobile.
File Types:
PDF (Portable Document Format): Allows documents to be sent in exactly the intended format.
JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): A format used for digital pictures, images and graphics.
Ai (Adobe Illustrator): A vector based graphics drawing program.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics): A file format for image compression that is expected to replace GIF
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): A format that supports both static and moving images.
PSD: A format used by Photoshop for saving data.
Logo Branding: A graphic used to identify a company, product or organisation.
Logo Design: Creating a graphic that fits in with a company, product or brand’s ethos
MockUp: A draft or model of the finished product
Negative Space: The space around the subject of an image.
Opacity: Lacking transparency or translucence – for example, a white spot on clear glass.
Pixels: A tiny illuminated dot on an electronic screen. Images are made up of thousands of pixels.
DPI (Dots Per Inch): Refers to the output resolution of a printer. The more dots, the clearer the image will be.
PPI (Pixels Per Inch): Refers to the input resolution of an electronic image. Again, the more dots, the sharper the image.
Proof: A draft of a page which can be altered before it’s finally printed.
Rendering: The final process of creating 2D images or animations on screen.
Typography: The style and arrangement of printed letters on a page.
Vector: Where drawn images are not defined by pixels but by a line or shape. This means they won’t become ‘blurry’ if they are resized.
Warm Colours: Colours that remind us of fire and warmth – red, orange, yellow, etc.
Cool Colours: Colours that remind us of water – blue, green, purple etc
Complimentary Colours: Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, eg red and green.
Website Development Definitions:
Above the Fold: The part of the website page that is first seen when it loads.
CMS (Content Management System): Enables a user to control and manage website content without needing specialist training.
Device: A piece of computerised hardware eg a mobile, desktop, laptop, tablet or anything that can upload or download information.
Domain Name: Used to register an address on the internet. For example: www.designgarage.co.nz
Dynamic Content: Website information that changes regularly, depending on say, the time of day, the weather, the location of the viewer, etc.
Hosting: Storage of internet data that can be accessed by computer or server.
Resolution: The number of pixels on a display screen. The greater the pixels, the higher the resolution.
Responsive Web Design: Provides a flexible viewing experience for different browser platforms or devices.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): A marketing method used to gain a higher rating in a Search Engine’s search results.
UI (user interface): The link between a user and a computer program.
UX (user experience): How a user feels or responds to a computer program or website.
Upload Time: How quickly a page can be seen and used after loading.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): An internet address. For example: www.designgarage.co.nz
Website Design: Creating a website that is specific to a company, brand, person or product, that does what it is supposed to do.
These are just a few of the terms that we commonly use every day. If there are any you’d like explaining further, or others we haven’t mentioned, feel free to ask! Contact Casie at Design Garage.
www.designgarage.co.nz | 027 934 3509 | contact@designgarage.co.nz
