THE CXPR™ GLOSSARY
Big words. Clear meanings. Useful next steps.
The science behind better customer experiences, in plain English. Find a term. See an example. Understand the evidence.
Find a termThe examples below explain how each idea can apply to a website. They are illustrations; published research and guidance are linked within each entry.
Why we created this glossary
Evidence-backed principles, explained clearly, so you can understand what’s happening on your website, why it matters, and what to do about it.
Because you shouldn’t need a degree in user experience to deliver a brilliant one.
Welcome to the CXPR™ Glossary. It’s where we explain the science behind great customer experiences in clear, everyday language.
213 terms A–Z Plain English, with evidence
A clearer way in
Find the word. Get the meaning.
From A to Z, without the jargon marathon. Find a term below, then open it for the meaning, why it matters, a practical example, and sources.
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A
Abandonment Rate
Where people start, then stop.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The percentage of eligible journeys that start but do not reach a defined finish within the measurement window. Specify the funnel, timeframe, and exclusions; abandonment is not the same as bounce rate.
Why it matters
It identifies a place to investigate. Analytics show a drop-off, but do not by themselves explain whether cost, usability, changed intent, or something else caused it.
What better looks like
Illustrative calculation: 100 checkout starts and 70 completions means 30% abandonment, if they are the same eligible group and window. Investigate the reason before changing the flow.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Accessibility
Make the experience usable by more people.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Designing and developing websites so people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with them. This includes how they work with assistive technology.
Why it matters
People need access to the same information and actions. Accessibility is part of delivering a usable service, not an optional finishing touch.
What better looks like
Label form fields, support keyboard use, provide useful image alternatives and test important journeys with assistive technology and disabled users.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Accessible Data Displays
Make the data understandable beyond the picture.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Charts and tables with clear structure, labels, and accessible alternatives for essential information.
Why it matters
Customers need to understand the comparison even when they cannot perceive a visual chart.
What better looks like
Give a comparison table proper headers and explain a chart's main finding in text.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Accountable Identity
Let customers see who stands behind the offer.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Clear information about the organization and people responsible for a service or its content.
Why it matters
A customer needs to know whom they are dealing with and how to contact them.
What better looks like
Identify the business, relevant expertise, and a usable contact route.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Accurate Representation
Make the promise match the product.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Descriptions, images, and claims that faithfully represent the offer and important limitations.
Why it matters
Customers need reliable information to make an informed decision.
What better looks like
Use the actual package inclusions and label an illustrative report image as an example.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Adjustable Time Limits
Give people time to finish.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Controls for turning off, adjusting, or extending content-imposed time limits where WCAG requires them.
Why it matters
Reading, typing, and using assistive technology take different amounts of time.
What better looks like
Warn a customer before a session expires and provide an accessible extension option where required.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Affordance
What something lets you do.
Research & professional practice
What it means
An affordance is an action that an object or interface makes possible for a person. The cue that communicates the action is a signifier. A button’s styling is a cue; activating it is the available action.
Why it matters
A feature cannot help customers if they cannot discover how to use it. Looking clickable and being clickable should agree.
What better looks like
Give an actionable card a clear label and consistent interactive treatment. Avoid giving decorative cards the same treatment.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Agentic AI
A goal, a plan, and some room to act.
AI terminology
What it means
Agentic AI describes systems that can pursue goals with some degree of independence. Instead of requiring a person to specify every next step, the system can decide what it needs to do, select tools and continue working toward an outcome.
Why it matters
More independence calls for clearer goals, oversight, and stopping conditions.
What better looks like
Define which research steps a system can take independently and which decisions need human approval.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
AGI — Artificial General Intelligence
A big idea without a universally agreed finish line.
AI terminology
What it means
Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, generally refers to AI capable of performing successfully across a very broad range of intellectual tasks instead of being designed for one particular kind of work.
Why it matters
Different definitions make broad claims difficult to compare. Ask which capabilities and evaluation criteria are meant.
What better looks like
Evaluate an AI product against your actual task rather than a claim that it is approaching AGI.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. Future capability claims are speculative; definitions and forecasts vary.
AI — Artificial Intelligence
A broad field. A useful first question.
AI terminology
What it means
Artificial intelligence is the broad term for computer systems that can perform tasks we associate with intelligence, such as recognizing patterns, understanding language, making predictions, generating content, reasoning, and supporting decisions.
Why it matters
Ask what the system actually does, what it can access, and how its work is checked. 'Powered by AI' is an opening line, not an explanation.
What better looks like
Explain that AI helps organize selected research while an expert approves the final recommendation.
AI Agent
From answering a question to working on a task.
AI terminology
What it means
An AI agent is a system that can work toward a goal rather than simply respond to a single request. Depending on what it is allowed to access, it may gather information, decide what steps are required, use tools, and take actions on your behalf.
Why it matters
An agent's permissions matter as much as its capabilities. A useful workflow makes its limits and approval points clear.
What better looks like
Let an agent prepare a competitor summary, then have a person check the evidence before sharing it.
AI Alignment
Make the system's behaviour fit the intention.
AI terminology
What it means
AI alignment is the work of making AI systems behave in ways that remain consistent with human intentions, rules, and values.
Why it matters
A system can follow an instruction literally and still miss the purpose. Checking behaviour matters.
What better looks like
Test whether a recommendation assistant respects evidence limits when asked for an impressive growth claim.
AI Washing
When the AI claim does more work than the AI.
Industry terminology
What it means
An industry term for exaggerating or misrepresenting how much AI a product uses, what it does, or how well it works.
Why it matters
Buyers need accurate descriptions of capabilities and limitations. A sparkle icon is not supporting evidence.
What better looks like
Replace a vague 'AI-powered results' claim with an explanation of the actual assistance and human checks.
AI-Native
Built around AI from the beginning.
Industry terminology
What it means
An industry term for a product or workflow designed around AI from the outset rather than adding it to an existing design. It has no universal certification or quality threshold.
Why it matters
This is industry language, not a quality certification. The useful question is what the design lets customers do better.
What better looks like
Explain which part of a service depends on AI rather than using the label as the whole value proposition.
API — Application Programming Interface
A practical way for software to work together.
AI terminology
What it means
An Application Programming Interface, or API, allows different pieces of software to communicate with one another.
Why it matters
An integration needs clear permissions, reliable handling, and a useful customer purpose.
What better looks like
Connect an approved enquiry form to the business's contact system instead of asking staff to retype every field.
Audience Language
Use the words your customers use.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Language chosen to match the audience's knowledge, needs, and vocabulary.
Why it matters
A technically accurate explanation still needs to be understandable to its reader.
What better looks like
Explain 'cognitive load' as the effort someone spends understanding and using the page.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Audience Relevance
Make it clear who this is for.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The fit between a page's content and the needs of its intended audience, supported by evidence about that audience.
Why it matters
Visitors need to recognize whether the offer addresses their situation.
What better looks like
Use a relevant customer problem and explain the service's fit without assuming every visitor shares it.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Audience Routing
Help the right people find their own way in.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Navigation and content that direct different visitor groups to relevant information when their needs differ.
Why it matters
Business and individual buyers may need different answers before they can act.
What better looks like
Offer clearly named routes for 'For organizations' and 'For individuals' when the distinction is useful.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Audio Description
Let essential visuals join the narration.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Spoken descriptions of important visual information in prerecorded synchronized media, where needed to meet the criterion.
Why it matters
A video can speak clearly and still leave essential information visible only on screen.
What better looks like
Describe a key on-screen demonstration when the main soundtrack does not explain it.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Availability and Recovery
Be honest about what is possible now.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Accurate information about availability and a useful next step when an option is unavailable.
Why it matters
Customers need an alternative when the preferred route cannot be completed.
What better looks like
Mark a sold-out option accurately and offer a relevant alternative or restock notification.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
B
Benchmark
A comparison needs a defined test.
AI terminology
What it means
A benchmark is a standardized test used to evaluate or compare AI models. Benchmarks may measure reasoning, coding, mathematics, factual accuracy, tool use, or other capabilities.
Why it matters
A score only helps when its task and conditions resemble the job you care about.
What better looks like
Compare two models using the same representative tasks and inspect failures as well as the headline scores.
Bias
Patterns can carry blind spots.
AI terminology
What it means
AI bias describes systematic patterns that can create distorted, unfair, or unrepresentative outcomes.
Why it matters
Data, design choices, and evaluation can produce skewed outcomes. Human review also needs scrutiny.
What better looks like
Check whether an assistant's recommendations work for the intended audiences rather than assuming one example represents everyone.
Brand Expression
Sound like yourself. Still make sense.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The way visual and verbal choices communicate a brand within a usable experience.
Why it matters
A distinctive voice needs to help customers understand the offer and act.
What better looks like
Use warmth in supporting copy while keeping the payment button clear and literal.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
C
Canonical URL
Give duplicate pages a preferred address.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
A signal identifying the preferred URL among duplicate or very similar pages. Search engines may choose a different canonical.
Why it matters
Consistent addresses make duplicate-content management easier to understand and maintain.
What better looks like
Point duplicate versions of a glossary page to the same preferred canonical URL.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Captions
Let the conversation work with the sound off.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Text captions for prerecorded synchronized media that convey speech and relevant non-speech audio.
Why it matters
Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors need access to the audio information.
What better looks like
Provide checked captions for an explainer video, including meaningful sound cues.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Chatbot
A conversation is an interface, not a capability guarantee.
AI terminology
What it means
A chatbot is a conversational interface that lets people interact with software through natural language.
Why it matters
Customers need to know what the bot can do and how to reach help when it cannot.
What better looks like
State the support bot's scope and provide a clear route to a person.
Choice Architecture
The way you present a choice shapes the decision.
Research & professional practice
What it means
How options are structured and described, including their order, grouping, and defaults. Research examines how these features influence decisions.
Why it matters
Presentation carries responsibility. Help customers compare relevant differences and make an informed choice; don’t quietly choose an expensive extra for them.
What better looks like
Compare plans using the same features and billing period. Make optional add-ons clearly optional and easy to decline.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Clarity
Make the offer easy to understand.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
In CXPR's Five Drivers framework, how clearly the experience explains the offer, relevant choices, and what happens next for the intended audience.
Why it matters
A reviewer can assess observable language and structure. Actual comprehension needs appropriate user evidence.
What better looks like
Replace a vague service headline with a plain explanation of who it helps and what it provides.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Cognitive Load
How hard your website makes people think.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The mental effort needed to understand information and complete a task. Some effort is necessary; avoidable complexity adds work without helping the customer.
Why it matters
When people must remember details, decode jargon, or compare poorly organised options, using the site becomes harder. That is a usability concern, not a diagnosis of the customer.
What better looks like
Group a booking form into clear sections, explain unfamiliar questions, and keep earlier choices visible.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Colour-independent Meaning
Colour can help. It should not do all the talking.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Information communicated with text, shape, or another cue as well as colour.
Why it matters
Customers should not have to distinguish red from green to understand a status.
What better looks like
Pair a red error outline with an error message that names the problem.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Commitment Conditions
Explain what happens after yes.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The terms that define an ongoing or consequential commitment, such as renewal, cancellation, or minimum duration.
Why it matters
Customers need to understand the relationship they are entering.
What better looks like
Put recurring billing and cancellation terms beside the subscription decision.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Comparable Alternatives
Make comparisons possible without a spreadsheet.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Options presented with consistent, decision-relevant information.
Why it matters
A package comparison is useful only when readers can compare like with like.
What better looks like
Show inclusions, conditions, and total price in the same order for each package.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Competitive Benchmark
A useful comparison, not a copying exercise.
Professional terminology
What it means
A structured comparison of selected aspects of competing experiences. A competitive expert review differs from competitive usability testing with participants.
Why it matters
Seeing a feature on another site does not establish that it works for your customers.
What better looks like
Compare how three sites explain delivery costs using the same criteria, then identify a relevant improvement to investigate.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Completion State
Tell people when they are done.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
A clear indication that an action has completed, with relevant next steps.
Why it matters
Without confirmation, a customer may be unsure whether to retry or wait.
What better looks like
Show an order confirmation and explain how the receipt will arrive.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Confidence
Give people sound reasons to proceed.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
In CXPR's Five Drivers framework, the proof, transparency, and expectation-setting available around a customer decision.
Why it matters
A badge or testimonial does not automatically establish trust. Its relevance and credibility matter.
What better looks like
Put verifiable credentials and clear service conditions beside a consequential decision.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Connection
Give the right people a reason to care.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
In CXPR's Five Drivers framework, the relevance of the experience to the intended audience's needs, motivations, and context.
Why it matters
This is not a score for whether the reviewer likes the design. Claims about motivation need an evidence basis.
What better looks like
Use a substantiated customer need to frame the offer and say when the audience insight is still an assumption.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Consequential-action Protection
Make important decisions easier to check.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Safeguards such as reversibility, checking, or confirmation for specified legal, financial, or data-related submissions.
Why it matters
The cost of a mistaken payment or deletion can be much greater than a mistaken click.
What better looks like
Let a customer review and correct an order before placing it.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Consistency & Standards
Same action. Same language. Less guesswork.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Using words and interactions consistently, while respecting familiar platform and industry conventions.
Why it matters
Customers should not have to relearn your interface on every page. Predictable patterns let them focus on what they came to do.
What better looks like
Use ‘Book a consultation’ consistently for the same action, with the same button treatment across service pages.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Consistent Help
Help should not play hide-and-seek.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Repeated help mechanisms presented in a consistent relative location where the criterion applies.
Why it matters
People who need support should be able to return to a familiar place.
What better looks like
Keep the contact and help links in the same footer position across the checkout journey.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Consistent Identification
Same job. Same name.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Components with the same functionality identified consistently across a set of pages.
Why it matters
A customer should not need to learn three names for the same action.
What better looks like
Use 'Search' consistently for the same site-search function.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Contact and Support
Make a real answer reachable.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Discoverable, usable routes for getting help before and after taking action.
Why it matters
Customers need somewhere to turn when the page cannot answer their question.
What better looks like
Put a working contact link beside a complex service explanation and in the footer.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Content Freshness
Keep important answers current.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Reviewing consequential content for accuracy when offers, evidence, or conditions change.
Why it matters
An old deadline or obsolete policy can lead a customer to act on the wrong information.
What better looks like
Update delivery conditions wherever they appear and remove superseded claims.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Content Grouping
Put related answers in the same neighbourhood.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Organizing related material so its relationships are understandable.
Why it matters
Customers should not have to assemble one answer from several unrelated sections.
What better looks like
Keep price, inclusions, and important conditions together on a service page.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Context
Give the system enough to understand the job.
AI terminology
What it means
Context is the information an AI system has available while it works on a request. That might include your instructions, earlier conversation, documents, data, examples, search results, and available tools.
Why it matters
Relevant information can support a better response, but adding material does not guarantee accuracy.
What better looks like
Provide the audience, objective, approved facts, and constraints before asking for service-page copy.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Context Engineering
Choose what the AI needs to know.
AI terminology
What it means
Context engineering is the practice of deliberately deciding what information, instructions, tools, and memory an AI system needs in order to perform a task well.
Why it matters
Good context management is selective. Irrelevant or conflicting material still needs to be handled.
What better looks like
Supply the current service policy and remove a superseded draft before generating a customer explanation.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Context Window
The information the model can consider at once.
AI terminology
What it means
A context window is the amount of information an AI model can consider at one time. It is usually measured in tokens.
Why it matters
Capacity is not the same as reliable attention to every detail. Keep important instructions clear.
What better looks like
Use a focused evidence brief rather than assuming a long upload will be interpreted perfectly.
Contrast
Make the difference visible.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The visual difference between elements, such as light text on a dark background. Contrast can distinguish content and support readability; accessible text contrast has specific measurement rules.
Why it matters
Customers must be able to read the information and recognise controls. A subtle grey can look elegant and still be hard to use.
What better looks like
Use clearly distinguishable text and controls. Check text contrast against WCAG requirements, and pair colour-coded errors with words.
Sources & context
- Nielsen Norman Group: 5 Principles of Visual Design in UX (opens in a new tab)
- W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 (opens in a new tab)
Illustrative example.
Controlled Rollout
Start with a smaller exposure and watch carefully.
Professional terminology
What it means
A staged release to a defined portion of an audience, with monitoring and rules for expanding or rolling back.
Why it matters
It can limit exposure while a team checks operational effects. It is not automatically a randomized experiment.
What better looks like
Release a change to a defined group, monitor agreed measures, and expand only when the release conditions are met.
Conversion Rate
How often a visit becomes the action you wanted.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The percentage of a defined audience that completes a chosen action over a stated period. Specify the action and denominator—such as visitors or sessions—before comparing results.
Why it matters
A purchase, enquiry, and signup answer different business questions. Traffic quality and measurement rules matter as much as the headline percentage.
What better looks like
Illustrative calculation: 20 purchasing visitors out of 1,000 visitors gives a 2% visitor conversion rate. Compare like periods and explain tracking exclusions.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Core Web Vitals
How loading, responding, and staying put feel.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Google’s three current Core Web Vitals are Largest Contentful Paint (LCP, loading), Interaction to Next Paint (INP, responsiveness), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS, visual stability).
Why it matters
They describe important aspects of technical experience. Good scores alone do not establish usability, accessibility, or a commercial result.
What better looks like
Reserve image space to prevent layout jumps, reduce work that delays interaction and check real-user field data alongside laboratory diagnostics.
Crawlable Internal Links
Give people and search engines a route through.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Links between pages implemented so search engines can discover the destination, with descriptive context.
Why it matters
Important information needs discoverable paths. That does not guarantee indexing or ranking.
What better looks like
Use a normal HTML link to the service page rather than making an unlabelled graphic the only route.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Keep the page from moving under people's fingers.
Performance metric
What it means
A visual-stability metric based on unexpected layout shifts, calculated using the documented session-window method.
Why it matters
A shifting interface can move the content or action someone was about to use.
What better looks like
Reserve space for images so loading them does not push the purchase button down the page.
Curated Evidence Base
Research with a reason to be here.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
A deliberately selected collection of research and professional guidance. In Jaspurr, experts consider quality, relevance, context, recency, and limitations.
Why it matters
Inclusion in a collection does not make a source suitable for every recommendation.
What better looks like
Use relevant accessibility guidance to explain a missing field label instead of attaching an unrelated conversion statistic.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Customer Outcomes
Translate the feature into something useful.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The change or benefit a customer is trying to achieve, distinguished from an unproven promise.
Why it matters
People need to understand how an offer relates to the job they want done.
What better looks like
Explain that an expert review helps a team prioritize next steps, without promising a specific revenue increase.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
CXPR™
Your expert website review.
CXPR methodology
What it means
CXPR™ stands for Customer Experience Performance Review: an expert-led measurement tool and structured website review process developed by Science of Next™. It assesses your website against relevant principles, tailored to your industry, customers, and goals.
Why it matters
It shows where the experience supports your goals and where it needs work.
What better looks like
A clinic wants more suitable appointment enquiries. The review assesses how people choose a service, find reassurance, and enquire.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
CXPS™
Your experience, summarized visually.
CXPR proprietary framework
What it means
Customer Experience Performance Score: the visual summary on your executive summary page. A number and Growth Wheel show where your current experience stands against relevant best-in-class principles, weighted for your industry, and why.
Why it matters
It helps you understand the review at a glance. Read the number and wheel alongside the key findings; the Playbook explains what to change.
What better looks like
Your executive summary shows the overall number, a Growth Wheel, and the key reasons behind them, so you can quickly see strengths and gaps.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
D
Dark Patterns
When design works against the customer.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Also called deceptive patterns: interface choices that mislead, pressure, or obstruct people into actions they would not freely choose.
Why it matters
A completed transaction is not automatically a good customer outcome. Examine whether the customer understood and intended the action.
What better looks like
Make declining optional marketing as understandable as accepting it. Let people cancel through a clear process without hidden obstacles.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Data Minimization in Forms
Ask for what the task needs.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Limiting information requests to what is justified for the current purpose.
Why it matters
Every requested detail should have a reason the business can explain.
What better looks like
Ask for contact details needed to respond to an enquiry; leave unrelated profiling questions out.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Data-use Transparency
Explain why you need the information.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Clear information about the purpose of data collection and relevant use or handling.
Why it matters
A visitor should understand what they are sharing and why it is needed.
What better looks like
Explain why a booking form requests a phone number and link to the applicable privacy information.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Decision-relevant Media
Give the image a useful job.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Images or video selected because they help the visitor understand an offer, action, or important detail.
Why it matters
A handsome photograph should earn its space by contributing to the decision.
What better looks like
Show a product's actual fastening or scale when that detail matters to the purchase.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Deep Learning
Learning patterns through layers of computation.
AI terminology
What it means
Deep learning is a type of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers to identify complex patterns in data.
Why it matters
It explains part of how an AI system works. Whether the product is useful still needs evaluation.
What better looks like
Judge an image-classification feature on relevant examples rather than the complexity of its architecture.
Deepfake
Convincing media that does not document a real event.
AI terminology
What it means
A deepfake is AI-generated or AI-manipulated media designed to make something appear convincingly real when it is not.
Why it matters
A realistic image or voice is not sufficient proof. Source and consent matter.
What better looks like
Verify a claimed endorsement with the original person or organization rather than relying on a synthetic-looking clip.
Delta
The gap reveals the opportunity.
CXPR methodology
What it means
The delta is the gap between your current experience and relevant best-in-class principles. It highlights opportunities to improve customer outcomes and revenue.
Why it matters
It helps identify where closing experience gaps could support better business results. It does not assign a guaranteed dollar return.
What better looks like
People can find your booking page but cannot see cancellation terms. Closing that gap can help them make a more confident decision; actual results need measurement.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Dragging Alternatives
Make dragging a choice.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A way to complete dragging functionality with a single pointer without dragging, unless an exception applies.
Why it matters
Dragging can be difficult with limited dexterity or some input devices.
What better looks like
Add 'Move up' and 'Move down' buttons beside a draggable list item.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Duplicate-submission Protection
One intention should not become two orders.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Controls that prevent or safely handle repeated submissions of the same action.
Why it matters
Repeated clicks or slow feedback should not create duplicate transactions.
What better looks like
Show a clear processing state and handle retries safely on the server.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
E
Embedding
Represent meaning as numbers that can be compared.
AI terminology
What it means
An embedding is a numerical representation of information that captures aspects of its meaning and relationships.
Why it matters
Embeddings can support similarity search. Similarity does not establish truth or relevance to every task.
What better looks like
Let a knowledge search connect 'login trouble' with 'cannot access my account', then show the supporting document.
Error Identification
Name the problem before asking for a fix.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Detected input errors identified and described to the visitor in text.
Why it matters
A red field alone does not explain what went wrong.
What better looks like
Write 'Enter an email address in the format name@example.com' next to the affected field.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Error Prevention
Help people avoid the wrong turn.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Designing an interaction to reduce the chance of a mistake before it happens. Clear constraints and a check before a consequential action are common approaches.
Why it matters
Preventing a mistake can spare customers the work of fixing it and give teams fewer problems to resolve.
What better looks like
Explain the required date format before entry, and let customers review their delivery address before placing an order.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Error Recovery
A useful way back when something goes wrong.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Helping people understand an error and take the next corrective step. The explanation should be understandable and specific to the problem.
Why it matters
A dead-end message leaves the customer stuck. Recovery gives them a practical route to finishing the task.
What better looks like
Say ‘Enter an email address such as name@example.com’ beside the field, preserve their other entries and move focus to a clear error summary.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Error Suggestions
A useful error points to the way forward.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A suggested correction when an input error is detected and a suitable suggestion is known, subject to the standard's limits.
Why it matters
Customers need an actionable next step, not a dead end.
What better looks like
Explain which date format is accepted and keep the rest of the form intact.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Evals — Evaluations
A good demo still needs a proper test.
AI terminology
What it means
Evals are structured tests used to measure how well an AI system performs a particular job.
Why it matters
Define what successful work looks like and check representative tasks and failures.
What better looks like
Test whether an assistant cites real sources and flags missing evidence before putting it into a review workflow.
Evidence Provenance
Show where the proof came from.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Information about a claim's source, method, date, and relevant context.
Why it matters
A named source helps a reader assess a claim; it does not automatically make the claim applicable.
What better looks like
Link a research claim to the original study and explain the population it examined.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Evidence Strength
How much weight should this evidence carry?
CXPR evidence classification
What it means
How much support a source provides for a particular claim, considering its method, quality, relevance, and limitations. In CXPR, source type, observation, applicability, and confidence are considered separately.
Why it matters
A respected source can still be the wrong evidence for the claim beside it. Strong evidence for an accessibility requirement does not establish a conversion lift.
What better looks like
Use the relevant WCAG criterion to explain an inaccessible control. Describe the business effect as unmeasured unless appropriate outcome evidence is available.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Expert Interpretation
What the evidence means here.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
A reviewer's reasoned application of evidence to a particular interface and business context, distinct from the research itself and from measured customer behaviour.
Why it matters
Clients can assess the reasoning without mistaking professional judgment for a proven business result.
What better looks like
Explain why an unclear booking label may create uncertainty without claiming customers abandoned the form unless that was measured.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Expert Review
Experienced eyes. Explained reasoning.
Research & professional practice
What it means
An assessment using a practitioner’s expertise, relevant research, and the context of the product. It can include heuristic evaluation and broader examination of content and journeys.
Why it matters
It helps a business see actionable opportunities. Its conclusions still involve judgment; direct observation of an interface is different from observing a customer use it.
What better looks like
Record ‘the form does not explain this required field’, explain the potential difficulty and recommend clearer wording. Test whether it improves completion.
F
Feedback & System Status
Tell people what just happened.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Information showing what the system is doing and the result of an action. It might be a progress indicator, a saved state, or a clear confirmation.
Why it matters
People need to know whether to wait, continue, or try again. Uncertainty can lead to repeat attempts.
What better looks like
After an invoice request, confirm whether it was received, and explain the next step. Only claim an email was sent if the system confirms it.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Findability
Can people find what they came for?
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
In CXPR's Five Drivers framework, the visitor's ability to locate relevant information, services, products, or routes within the reviewed scope.
Why it matters
An offer needs a discoverable path before someone can consider it. This is a proprietary assessment lens, not a measured outcome by itself.
What better looks like
Give a visitor seeking a consultation a clearly named route from the homepage to the relevant service.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Fine-Tuning
Further training for a more specific job.
AI terminology
What it means
Fine-tuning means taking an existing trained AI model and adapting it further for a particular task, behaviour, or domain.
Why it matters
It is one option among several. Better instructions or retrieval may address the problem more directly.
What better looks like
Evaluate whether inconsistent formatting needs further model training or simply a clearer output template.
Fitts’s Law
Don’t make the next click a precision sport.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A model of aimed movement: the time to acquire a target depends on its distance and size along the movement direction. It informs the design of pointer and touch targets.
Why it matters
Small or awkwardly placed controls can require more effort to reach. Target spacing and accessibility also need attention.
What better looks like
Give a mobile accordion a generous tappable summary row, rather than making people hit a tiny plus sign.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Five Drivers of Growth™
Five lenses for a clearer review.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
CXPR's own organizing framework: Findability, Clarity, Connection, Confidence, and Momentum. The business context determines how these lenses are applied.
Why it matters
It gives a review a consistent structure without pretending every business needs the same solution.
What better looks like
Explain an observed issue and its relevant evidence under the most appropriate driver, then recommend a practical next move.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Flashing Content
Attention should never come at someone's expense.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Content assessed against limits on flashes that can pose a seizure risk.
Why it matters
This is an accessibility consideration with health consequences, not a decorative preference.
What better looks like
Remove a flashing promotional treatment and use a steady, readable message instead.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Focus Not Obscured
Keep the next action in sight.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A focused component that is not entirely hidden by author-created content, as required by WCAG 2.2 AA.
Why it matters
A sticky header should not cover the control someone is trying to use.
What better looks like
Test tabbing near a sticky navigation bar and adjust spacing so the focused action remains visible.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Focus Order
Make the next keyboard stop the sensible one.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The sequence in which interactive elements receive focus, preserving meaning and operation.
Why it matters
A focus jump across unrelated sections makes a simple journey harder to follow.
What better looks like
Keep the keyboard sequence aligned with the order of fields and actions in a booking form.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Forecast KPI Improvement
An estimate, with its assumptions showing.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
An estimated future change in a performance measure, with a stated basis and uncertainty. It is not a measured outcome or a guarantee.
Why it matters
An estimate may inform planning without becoming a promise of conversion or revenue growth.
What better looks like
Label a forecast clearly and explain its assumptions. Leave out a numerical range when its basis cannot be substantiated.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Form Labels and Instructions
Tell people what you need before they type.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Labels and instructions that explain required input and relevant constraints.
Why it matters
Customers should not discover a password rule only after being rejected.
What better looks like
Show the password requirements before entry and keep the field label visible while typing.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Foundation Model
A starting point for many different applications.
AI terminology
What it means
A foundation model is a broadly trained AI model that can be used or adapted across many different tasks.
Why it matters
A capable base model still needs the right context, controls, and evaluation for its intended use.
What better looks like
Build a specialist research workflow around a general model and check its performance on the specialist task.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Friction
The effort between ‘I want to’ and ‘done’.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A practical UX term for effort, obstacles, or uncertainty in a journey. It is not one standardised metric, and some friction—such as a security check—serves a useful purpose.
Why it matters
Identify which steps protect customers and which simply get in their way. Removing every step is not automatically an improvement.
What better looks like
Avoid asking for the same information twice, while retaining a clear review step before a consequential payment.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Frontier Model
Near the leading edge, by someone's definition.
Industry terminology
What it means
An industry term for models considered near the leading edge of capabilities under a particular evaluation. There is no universal performance threshold.
Why it matters
This industry label has no universal quality threshold. Compare relevant capabilities and limits.
What better looks like
Ask what a model improves on your tasks rather than selecting it because its launch copy says 'frontier'.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
G
Generative AI — GenAI
Create new content from learned patterns.
AI terminology
What it means
Generative artificial intelligence creates new content based on patterns learned during training.
Why it matters
Generated material needs checking for accuracy, rights, and suitability before use.
What better looks like
Use AI to draft a service explanation, then verify every factual claim and revise it for the actual audience.
Gestalt Principles
We see patterns, not just pieces.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A family of principles describing how people perceive visual groups and whole shapes. Similarity, proximity, and closure are examples; they are not a single rule for every layout.
Why it matters
Visual grouping helps people understand which information belongs together. Poor grouping can leave customers connecting the wrong dots.
What better looks like
Put each product’s image, name, and price inside one clearly defined card, with enough separation from the next product.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Grounded Motivation
Give people a reason that holds up.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Reasons to act connected to customer needs and credible evidence, rather than invented urgency or assumptions.
Why it matters
A recommendation needs a believable customer mechanism before a business invests in it.
What better looks like
Explain the practical benefit of booking early without inventing a countdown or demand claim.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Grounding
Give the answer something solid to stand on.
AI terminology
What it means
Grounding means giving an AI system trusted information to use when it creates an answer.
Why it matters
Supplying relevant sources can constrain an answer, but it cannot guarantee that the model uses them correctly.
What better looks like
Provide approved research and check that each cited passage supports the recommendation beside it.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Growth Wheel™
Five drivers. One clear view.
CXPR methodology
What it means
The visual breakdown within your CXPS summary on the executive summary page. It shows Findability, Clarity, Connection, Confidence, and Momentum, weighted for your industry.
Why it matters
It shows how strengths and gaps connect across the customer journey.
What better looks like
Strong Findability can bring people to a service page; weaker Clarity can leave them unsure whether the service is right for them.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Guardrail KPI
Check what the improvement might cost elsewhere.
Measurement terminology
What it means
A metric monitored to detect an unacceptable side effect while evaluating a change.
Why it matters
An increase in one metric may be unattractive if it comes with a serious decline elsewhere.
What better looks like
Track errors or cancellations alongside a proposed increase in completed purchases.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Guardrails
Useful boundaries around a capable system.
AI terminology
What it means
Guardrails are controls that limit what an AI system can see, say, or do.
Why it matters
Controls should match the consequences of a mistake. No single safeguard removes every risk.
What better looks like
Allow an assistant to draft a report but require human approval before client delivery.
H
Hallucination
A confident answer can still be made up.
AI terminology
What it means
A hallucination happens when generative AI produces information that sounds plausible but is inaccurate, unsupported, or entirely fabricated.
Why it matters
Plausible wording does not establish accuracy. Important facts need checking against suitable sources.
What better looks like
Open a cited paper and verify its findings before repeating a claimed business result.
Headings and Labels
A useful label does half the explaining.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Headings that describe their sections and labels that describe their controls.
Why it matters
Customers need to scan for the right information and understand what an input asks for.
What better looks like
Replace 'More' with 'Delivery and returns' and label a field 'Email address'.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Heuristic Evaluation
A structured check against useful design principles.
Research & professional practice
What it means
An inspection method in which evaluators examine an interface against usability principles, called heuristics. It identifies potential issues without requiring participant sessions.
Why it matters
It provides a structured way to find opportunities. It does not show that customers experienced every predicted issue or establish how often an issue occurs.
What better looks like
Review a signup flow against error prevention, feedback, and consistency, document what is visible and identify findings that need user testing.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Hick–Hyman Law
Make choices easier to understand.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A model linking choice reaction time to the information or uncertainty in a set of responses under controlled conditions. It is often oversimplified as ‘more options always means worse decisions’.
Why it matters
It encourages us to examine the effort of choosing. It does not prove that cutting a menu or product range will increase sales; familiarity, organisation, and the task matter.
What better looks like
Group a large service menu by customer need, with useful labels. Test whether people find the right option more easily before removing valuable choices.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Hover and Focus Content
Helpful information should stay within reach.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Additional content triggered by hover or focus that can be dismissed, reached, and kept available as required by the standard.
Why it matters
A tooltip is not much help if it vanishes on the way to reading it.
What better looks like
Let a person move onto a tooltip and dismiss it without moving keyboard focus away.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Human Judgment
Know when the answer still needs another question.
AI terminology
What it means
Human judgment is our ability to consider evidence alongside context, experience, values, consequences, and common sense.
Why it matters
Context, consequences, and evidence need interpretation. People remain responsible for decisions and can also make mistakes.
What better looks like
Challenge a plausible recommendation that conflicts with the customer's needs or exceeds the available evidence.
Human-in-the-Loop
Keep a person at the decisions that matter.
AI terminology
What it means
Human-in-the-loop describes an AI-enabled process in which a person remains involved at important stages.
Why it matters
Oversight works only when the person has the information and authority to question or stop the output.
What better looks like
Have an expert review the observation, interpretation, and proposed action before approving a report.
Hypothesis
A useful idea that still needs checking.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
A proposed explanation or expected effect that can be tested. A review should distinguish a hypothesis from an observed result.
Why it matters
Uncertainty should be visible before the business commits resources.
What better looks like
Propose that delivery information beside the price may reduce uncertainty, then decide what evidence would support or challenge the idea.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
I
Images of Text
Keep the words as words.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Using actual text rather than baking readable copy into an image, apart from applicable exceptions.
Why it matters
Real text can be resized and adapted more readily than a picture of a sentence.
What better looks like
Build a promotional headline in HTML and keep the photograph separate.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Inclusive Language
Make room for the people reading.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Language that communicates respectfully without unnecessary assumptions about a reader's identity or circumstances.
Why it matters
Customers should be able to understand whether an offer fits without being misrepresented.
What better looks like
Ask only for relevant information and use labels that describe the actual task.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Indexable Content
Put the important answers where they can be read.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Content made available in a form search engines can access and potentially index, subject to their requirements.
Why it matters
A valuable answer hidden in an inaccessible asset is harder to discover.
What better looks like
Publish the essential service explanation as readable page text, not only inside an image.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Inference
Using a trained model to produce an output.
AI terminology
What it means
Inference is the process of a trained AI model using what it has learned to generate an output from new information.
Why it matters
This AI meaning differs from drawing an expert conclusion from evidence. Context tells you which is intended.
What better looks like
Distinguish a model generating a draft from a reviewer inferring why an interface might be confusing.
Information Scent
A good link tells you where it leads.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The clues people use to judge whether a link or route will lead to the information they need. Labels, surrounding copy, and context all contribute.
Why it matters
Customers should be able to choose a useful path without opening every door. A clever label is only useful if its destination makes sense.
What better looks like
Use ‘See delivery areas and fees’ rather than ‘Discover more’ when the destination explains delivery.
Input Controls
Give each answer the right tool.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Form controls suited to the information being entered and the visitor's device.
Why it matters
An awkward input can make a familiar task needlessly difficult.
What better looks like
Use an email field for an email address and an appropriate keyboard on mobile.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Input Purpose
Help the form recognize what belongs where.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Machine-readable identification of common personal-information fields, such as name and email, where the standard applies.
Why it matters
Clear field purposes support appropriate autofill and assistive tools.
What better looks like
Use the correct autocomplete purpose for an email field instead of making people retype information their browser already knows.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
How quickly does the page show a response?
Performance metric
What it means
A responsiveness metric based on interaction delays across a visit, using the documented selection method.
Why it matters
A visible response helps customers understand that an action registered. INP is one performance measure, not a complete experience score.
What better looks like
Investigate a menu interaction that waits noticeably before displaying its next frame.
J
Jaspurr™
Our closed database of best practices.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
Jaspurr™ is our closed database of best practices. We’re building and curating it to support expert reviews with relevant research, standards, and guidance.
Why it matters
It gives your practitioner a curated source of relevant principles to apply to your website.
What better looks like
For a booking review, your practitioner selects relevant booking, trust, and form-design principles, checks their fit and explains the recommendations.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Journey Handoff
Make the joins feel joined up.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
A transition between steps, teams, or systems that preserves clear context and expectations.
Why it matters
Customers need to understand who is doing what next.
What better looks like
After an enquiry, explain who will respond, by what channel, and within what stated timeframe.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
K
Keyboard Access
A mouse should be optional.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The ability to operate functionality with a keyboard, apart from applicable exceptions.
Why it matters
Some customers navigate with a keyboard or a device that sends keyboard commands.
What better looks like
Complete the menu, disclosure panels, and form using Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter and Space.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Keyboard Trap
A way in needs a way out.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A component that captures keyboard focus so the visitor cannot move away using the expected keyboard interaction.
Why it matters
Getting stuck inside a widget can block the rest of the visit.
What better looks like
Let someone leave a date picker and return to the form without reaching for a mouse.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
KPI Lift
The improvement—and what the number really means.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A change in a key performance indicator relative to a baseline. Relative lift = (new value − baseline) ÷ baseline × 100%. State whether an increase or decrease is desirable. Relative lift is undefined when the baseline is zero.
Why it matters
Forecasts and measured outcomes answer different questions. A CXPR projection is an estimate, not a guarantee. A before-and-after change alone does not establish that a design change caused it.
What better looks like
Illustrative calculation: a conversion rate rising from 2% to 2.4% is +20% relative lift and +0.4 percentage points. Label a proposed improvement ‘estimated’ and state its assumptions; validate with an appropriate study.
L
Label in Name
Say what you see. Get what you asked for.
Accessibility standard
What it means
An accessible name that includes the visible text label, within the standard's requirements.
Why it matters
People using voice control need the visible words to match what the software recognizes.
What better looks like
If a button visibly says 'Book a call', include those words in its accessible name.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
How long until the main content appears?
Performance metric
What it means
A loading metric measuring when the largest eligible image or text block becomes visible in the viewport.
Why it matters
It describes one part of the loading experience; it does not measure every aspect of usability.
What better looks like
Check real-user LCP for the relevant device and page before diagnosing a slow hero image.
Link Purpose
Give the destination a proper introduction.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Link text and its available context explaining what the link leads to.
Why it matters
Visitors need to decide whether a link is worth following without trying every door.
What better looks like
Write 'View delivery options' instead of a row of identical 'Click here' links.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
LLM — Large Language Model
A model built to work with language.
AI terminology
What it means
A large machine-learning model trained on language data to process and generate text. Some systems also accept other media; capabilities vary by model and application.
Why it matters
Fluent output still needs checking. Product tools, retrieval, and workflow design also shape the result.
What better looks like
Ask a model to draft an explanation using approved facts, then verify that it has not added unsupported details.
Location Awareness
Tell people where they are in the story.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Cues that explain the visitor's current place within a site or process.
Why it matters
People need to know where they landed and how to move to a related page.
What better looks like
Use descriptive page headings and breadcrumbs for a multi-level product catalogue.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
M
Machine Learning — ML
Learn patterns from data rather than write every rule.
AI terminology
What it means
Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence in which computer systems learn patterns from data rather than having every possible rule explicitly programmed.
Why it matters
Performance depends on the task, data, and evaluation. A learned pattern is not automatically an explanation of cause.
What better looks like
Evaluate a recommendation system using relevant customer scenarios and check where it gives poor suggestions.
MCP — Model Context Protocol
A shared connection standard for AI applications.
AI terminology
What it means
Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard designed to help AI applications connect with external tools, systems, and sources of information.
Why it matters
A standard connection does not decide who should have access or which actions are appropriate.
What better looks like
Connect only the approved document source and give an assistant the permissions its task requires.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Measured Business Outcome
What happened, with the measurement attached.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
An observed business result reported with its metric, baseline, period, and measurement method. A before-and-after change does not by itself establish its cause.
Why it matters
Readers can distinguish actual performance evidence from estimates and illustrations.
What better looks like
Report the conversion definition, comparable measurement periods, and other changes that could affect the result.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Mental Model
How people expect things to work.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A person’s understanding of how a system works. That understanding can come from experience, assumptions, or familiar conventions, and may differ from the designer’s.
Why it matters
A mismatch can make a working feature feel broken. Understanding expectations helps a business design a clearer route to the customer’s goal.
What better looks like
Use a familiar basket icon and an explicit ‘Cart’ label for shopping. If a process works differently, explain the difference before people commit.
Message Continuity
Keep the promise from the first click.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Consistency between the message that brought someone to a page and what the destination actually offers.
Why it matters
A visitor arriving for one offer should not have to work out why the next page describes another.
What better looks like
Send a campaign about a specific package to that package's details, with matching terms.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Minimum Detectable Effect (MDE)
How small a change can this test reasonably detect?
Measurement terminology
What it means
The smallest effect an experiment is designed to detect with specified power, significance level and other design assumptions.
Why it matters
An experiment may not have enough data to resolve the small difference a team hopes to measure.
What better looks like
Check the available traffic and realistic effect size before committing to an experiment that cannot answer the decision question.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Model
The underlying system, not the whole product.
AI terminology
What it means
A computational system that maps inputs to outputs using learned patterns. The model is one part of the application people use, alongside its tools, interface, and controls.
Why it matters
The application around a model determines available tools, data, permissions, and much of the user experience.
What better looks like
Explain which checks belong to the assistant's workflow rather than attributing every safeguard to the model itself.
Momentum
Make the next useful move easier.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
In CXPR's Five Drivers framework, how well a visitor can progress through the intended task without unnecessary friction while retaining informed choice.
Why it matters
Progress should preserve accessibility and control. More pressure is not a better experience.
What better looks like
Give a booking form a clear next step, useful feedback, and a way to correct mistakes.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Moving Content Controls
Let visitors press pause.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A way to pause, stop, or hide certain moving, blinking, scrolling, or automatically updating content.
Why it matters
Movement should not force customers to race a message or read around a distraction.
What better looks like
Give an automatically advancing banner a clearly labelled pause control.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Multimodal AI
Work across words, pictures, sound, and more.
AI terminology
What it means
Multimodal AI can understand and work with multiple forms of information, such as text, images, audio, and video.
Why it matters
Available capabilities vary by system. Being able to receive an image does not ensure every detail is interpreted correctly.
What better looks like
Provide a page screenshot for visual context and inspect the page code separately when checking accessible labels.
Multiple Ways to Find Content
Give people another route in.
Accessibility standard
What it means
More than one way to locate pages within a set, subject to WCAG's exceptions.
Why it matters
Visitors may prefer browsing, searching, or using an index.
What better looks like
Offer a clear navigation menu and a sitemap for a content-heavy site.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
N
Name, Role and Value
Give each control an identity assistive tools can use.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Programmatically available information about an interface component's name, role, state, and value.
Why it matters
A custom control must communicate what it is and how it is set.
What better looks like
Use a real checkbox with a clear label, or implement equivalent accessible semantics and interaction.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Neural Network
Connected computational units that learn patterns.
AI terminology
What it means
A neural network is a machine-learning architecture made up of interconnected computational units that learn patterns from data.
Why it matters
The biological analogy is limited. The architecture alone does not establish reliability.
What better looks like
Evaluate a classifier's mistakes on realistic examples instead of assuming a neural network must understand the task.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Next-step Expectations
Tell people what the next click will do.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Information explaining what follows an action, including relevant timing and commitments.
Why it matters
Visitors need to know whether they are requesting information, booking, or buying.
What better looks like
Label a form 'Request an invoice' and explain that payment comes next.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
No-results Recovery
No match should not mean no way forward.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Useful guidance when a search or filter combination returns nothing.
Why it matters
A customer still has a task even when the system has no exact match.
What better looks like
Show the query, offer to clear filters and suggest a broader search.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Non-text Contrast
Make the controls visible, too.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Sufficient visual contrast for relevant interface components, their states, and meaningful graphics.
Why it matters
A form can have readable labels and still hide its input boundaries.
What better looks like
Check the outline of a text field and the selected state of a checkbox against adjacent colours.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Now / Next / Later
A useful order for making things better.
CXPR roadmap convention
What it means
CXPR’s roadmap convention. Now: a high-value, feasible action addressing an immediate barrier. Next: a larger improvement needing design, content, operational, or technical work. Later: a strategic capability, operating-model change, or innovation opportunity.
Why it matters
It turns a list into a sequence your team can discuss. The labels express priorities and dependencies, not fixed delivery dates or promised results.
What better looks like
Now: clarify the main action. Next: redesign and test the booking journey. Later: assess whether a new service capability is worth building.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Numbers and Dates
Make the small details unambiguous.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Numerical information presented with clear units, bases, currencies, and date conventions.
Why it matters
A price, deadline, or percentage can be misread when its reference point is missing.
What better looks like
Write 'within 5 business days after payment is received' rather than an unexplained '5 days'.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
O
Observed Interface Finding
What we can actually see.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
A documented characteristic or problem on the interface being reviewed. Observation alone does not establish how frequently customers encounter it or its financial effect.
Why it matters
It separates what is known from what still needs investigation.
What better looks like
Document that a mobile menu covers a booking button at a specified width. Do not assign lost sales without supporting evidence.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Onward Links
Make the next useful answer easy to reach.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Contextual links to information relevant to the visitor's current question.
Why it matters
A page should help someone continue rather than leave them searching the menu again.
What better looks like
Link a delivery promise directly to its detailed delivery terms.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Open Model
Open is a question worth unpacking.
Industry terminology
What it means
An open model is an AI model made available to others with some degree of access or freedom to use, modify, or deploy it.
Why it matters
Availability of weights, code, data, and usage rights can differ. Read the actual licence and documentation.
What better looks like
Check commercial-use permissions and deployment requirements before choosing an openly released model.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Open Weights
The learned parameters are available to use.
AI terminology
What it means
Weights are the learned numerical parameters inside an AI model.
Why it matters
Weight access does not by itself establish that a model is open source or that every use is permitted.
What better looks like
Review the model's licence and supporting documentation before downloading it for a business workflow.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Orientation Flexibility
Let customers turn their own screens.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Content that works in portrait and landscape unless a particular orientation is essential.
Why it matters
Someone may have a device fixed to a stand or wheelchair. Turning it may not be an option.
What better looks like
Let a booking form work in either orientation without asking the visitor to rotate their phone.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
P
Page Language
Tell assistive tools which language to speak.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The primary language of a page identified in its code.
Why it matters
Screen readers need language information to select appropriate pronunciation.
What better looks like
Declare Canadian English on an English-language page and identify passages in another language where needed.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Page Titles
Tell people where they have landed.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Descriptive document titles that identify a page's topic or purpose.
Why it matters
Browser tabs and assistive tools need a useful page name, especially when several pages are open.
What better looks like
Use 'Delivery and returns | Your brand' rather than 'Page 7'.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Parameters
The learned numerical settings inside a model.
AI terminology
What it means
Parameters are the numerical values inside an AI model that are adjusted during training as the system learns patterns.
Why it matters
Parameter count is not a universal measure of usefulness. Evaluate the job you need done.
What better looks like
Compare task accuracy, response time, and operating cost instead of choosing by the largest model size.
Playbook
What to change. Why. What comes first.
CXPR methodology
What it means
Your Playbook shows what to change to close the gap, why it matters based on relevant empirical evidence, and what to tackle Now / Next / Later.
Why it matters
It gives you and your team a practical basis for discussing priorities and implementation. Findings distinguish empirical evidence, standards, and expert judgment.
What better looks like
Now: clarify booking terms. Next: improve the booking flow. Later: explore a new service option. Each recommendation explains the gap and the evidence behind it.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Pointer Cancellation
Give an accidental press a chance to stop.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Interaction that avoids committing an action too early in a pointer press, or provides an appropriate way to cancel or reverse it.
Why it matters
A finger landing in the wrong place should not immediately commit a consequential action.
What better looks like
Activate a standard button on release and let a visitor move away before releasing to cancel the press.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Pointer Gestures
Offer a simpler way to make the same move.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Alternatives to multipoint or path-based gestures where those gestures are not essential.
Why it matters
Not everyone can pinch, trace a shape, or make a precise gesture.
What better looks like
Add zoom buttons alongside a pinch-to-zoom map.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Predictable Focus
Landing on a control should not spring a surprise.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Receiving focus without automatically triggering a change of context.
Why it matters
Tabbing should let visitors explore controls before choosing an action.
What better looks like
Do not submit a form or open a new page simply because a field receives focus.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Predictable Input
Let customers know when a choice changes the page.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Changing a control's value without an unexpected change of context, unless the behaviour has been explained in advance.
Why it matters
A selection should not whisk someone away before they understand what happened.
What better looks like
Use an explicit 'Continue' action after a selection rather than unexpectedly navigating away.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Preserved Input
One error should not erase the whole effort.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Keeping valid information available when a form reports a problem, with appropriate privacy and security considerations.
Why it matters
Customers should not need to rebuild a completed form because one field needs correction.
What better looks like
Keep the valid address fields filled when highlighting an invalid postal code.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Priority-task Routes
Give the main job a clear path.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The routes a site provides to the actions its priority visitors came to complete.
Why it matters
A business goal needs a usable customer path, not just a prominent button.
What better looks like
Give prospective clients a direct route from the service description to the booking details.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Programmatic Structure
Give the page a structure software can understand.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Headings, lists, labels, and relationships expressed in the page's code as well as its appearance.
Why it matters
A bold line may look like a heading without helping someone navigate with a screen reader.
What better looks like
Use a real heading element for each section and connect every form label to its input.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Progressive Disclosure
A little now. More when you need it.
Research & professional practice
What it means
An interaction approach that presents the essentials first and reveals secondary or advanced detail when requested.
Why it matters
It helps keep the first view manageable. Important costs, conditions, and information needed for a decision still belong where people can find them.
What better looks like
Show a glossary term and its simple explanation first. Let people open the example and evidence—as you can here.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Prompt
Tell the system what you need.
AI terminology
What it means
A prompt is the information or instruction you give an AI system.
Why it matters
A clearer task gives a response a more useful starting point. It does not remove the need to check the result.
What better looks like
Specify the audience, purpose, approved facts, and desired format when requesting a glossary entry.
Prompt Engineering
Better instructions for a better-defined task.
AI terminology
What it means
Prompt engineering is the practice of designing instructions to help AI produce better results.
Why it matters
Useful prompts make objectives, context, and constraints explicit.
What better looks like
Ask for a plain-English definition with a verified source and a labelled example, then review the result.
Proximity
Keep related things close.
Research & professional practice
What it means
A Gestalt grouping principle: elements near one another tend to be perceived as related.
Why it matters
Distance can clarify relationships—or create confusion. A label should clearly belong to its field, and a price to its product.
What better looks like
Place delivery details beside the purchase information they explain, rather than halfway down an unrelated section.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
R
RAG — Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Look it up. Then answer.
AI terminology
What it means
Retrieval-Augmented Generation, or RAG, allows an AI system to retrieve relevant information from an external source before generating its answer.
Why it matters
Retrieval can bring relevant material into the response, but retrieved information can be wrong, stale, or misapplied.
What better looks like
Retrieve the current service policy and check that the answer uses its actual delivery conditions.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Reading Order
Make the story make sense in sequence.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The order in which content is read or presented when its sequence affects meaning.
Why it matters
A beautifully arranged page still needs to make sense when read without its visual layout.
What better looks like
Keep each product's name, description, and purchase information together in the reading sequence.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Reasoning Model
More computational work before an answer.
AI terminology
What it means
A reasoning model is designed to spend more computational effort working through a problem before producing an answer.
Why it matters
Extra reasoning effort can be useful for some tasks. It does not make the output automatically correct.
What better looks like
Use a reasoning-capable system to compare evidence, then independently check the important conclusions.
Recognition vs. Recall
Show people the answer. Don’t test their memory.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Recognition means identifying something you can see; recall means retrieving it from memory. Interfaces can support recognition by keeping useful options and information available.
Why it matters
Customers should not need to memorise a product code or an earlier selection to continue. Visible context supports the task.
What better looks like
Show the selected plan and its key details beside the payment form instead of asking people to remember the comparison page.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Recursive Self-Improvement
The idea of AI helping improve future AI.
AI terminology
What it means
The idea of AI systems contributing to improvements in later AI systems, potentially creating a repeated improvement loop. Strong claims about an autonomous, rapidly accelerating loop remain speculative.
Why it matters
The stronger, self-accelerating version is speculative. Separate research assistance from claims of autonomous improvement.
What better looks like
Describe a system helping researchers evaluate a new model without claiming it can improve itself without oversight.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. Future capability claims are speculative; definitions and forecasts vary.
Redundant Entry
You already told us. We should remember.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Avoiding unnecessary requests to re-enter information within the same process, subject to exceptions.
Why it matters
Repetition asks customers to spend effort without moving closer to completion.
What better looks like
Offer 'Use my billing address' for delivery when the information is already available.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Reinforcement Learning
Learn from the outcomes of actions.
AI terminology
What it means
Reinforcement learning is a machine-learning approach in which a system learns through feedback about the outcomes of its actions.
Why it matters
What is rewarded matters. An easy-to-measure reward may not capture the real objective.
What better looks like
Assess whether a system rewarded for task completion also respects the task's safety and quality constraints.
Representative Imagery
Show people and situations with care.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Imagery assessed for its relevance and how it represents the intended audience and offer.
Why it matters
Pictures contribute to the story a business tells about whom it serves.
What better looks like
Choose relevant images and describe what they actually show rather than using stereotypes as audience evidence.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Responsive Reflow
A smaller screen should not mean a smaller experience.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Content rearranging to fit a narrow view without losing information or requiring two-direction scrolling, subject to exceptions.
Why it matters
A customer should be able to read a paragraph without moving the page sideways after every line.
What better looks like
Stack two editorial columns into one on a small screen and keep the call to action visible.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
RLHF — Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback
Use human preferences to help shape behaviour.
AI terminology
What it means
Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback, or RLHF, uses human preferences and evaluations to help shape the behaviour of AI systems.
Why it matters
Preference feedback is one training signal. It does not prove that an answer is factually correct.
What better looks like
Evaluate factual accuracy separately even when reviewers prefer the tone of one model's answers.
S
Scannability
Make the useful bits easy to spot.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
How readily a reader can locate relevant information through headings, grouping, emphasis, and spacing.
Why it matters
Decision-makers often need a particular answer before reading every paragraph.
What better looks like
Give a service page descriptive headings for inclusions, timing, and price.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Scope and Fit
Be clear about what is in the box.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The boundaries of an offer and the circumstances in which it is suitable.
Why it matters
Customers need enough detail to judge whether the service meets their needs.
What better looks like
Explain which public pages a review covers and which activities sit outside the agreed scope.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Search Refinement
Help people narrow the field.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Controls such as filters that let visitors reduce a result set using meaningful criteria.
Why it matters
A large catalogue needs useful choices, not every filter the database can produce.
What better looks like
Let shoppers narrow boots by size and availability, and show which filters are active.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Search Relevance
Answer the search the customer actually made.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
How closely search results match the visitor's query and intended task.
Why it matters
A technically working search can still send people to the wrong answer.
What better looks like
For an on-site search for 'returns', put the current returns policy ahead of an old campaign post.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Search Snippet
Give the search result a useful introduction.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The descriptive excerpt a search engine displays with a result. The engine may generate it from page content rather than the meta description.
Why it matters
The preview helps a visitor decide whether the page answers their question.
What better looks like
Write an accurate meta description and clear page copy without promising the exact snippet Google will display.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Service and Location Discovery
Make it clear whether you can help here.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Information that lets visitors find the right service and determine where it is available.
Why it matters
A customer needs to know whether the offer fits before investing time in an enquiry.
What better looks like
State the service area beside the offer and link to relevant location details.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Severity
How much does the problem get in the way?
Research & professional practice
What it means
A judgment of how serious a usability issue is, considering its impact, frequency, and persistence. When frequency is unknown, say so. A review’s rating scale should be explained rather than assumed.
Why it matters
It helps teams direct attention to meaningful barriers. Severity is different from implementation effort, evidence strength, or a guaranteed financial impact.
What better looks like
A broken payment action may block the task; an uneven decorative margin may not. Document the affected journey and what was observed before assigning priority.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Skip Links
A shortcut past the repeated introductions.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Links or other mechanisms that let people bypass repeated blocks such as site navigation.
Why it matters
Keyboard users should not need to traverse the same menu on every page.
What better looks like
Make a visible-on-focus 'Skip to main content' link the first keyboard stop.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Small Language Model — SLM
A smaller model for a defined job.
Industry terminology
What it means
An industry term for a language model with a comparatively smaller size or resource footprint. There is no single threshold that makes every model small.
Why it matters
Smaller models may suit some resource or deployment constraints. The trade-offs need task-specific testing.
What better looks like
Compare a smaller model's extraction accuracy and resource needs on the documents it will actually process.
Source Register
Show where the thinking came from.
CXPR methodology — expert interpretation
What it means
A record of sources used to support a review, including enough identifying information to trace them.
Why it matters
Readers need to see which evidence supports which claim and understand its limits.
What better looks like
Record a source's title and URL beside the specific principle it supports.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Statistical Significance
A test result, not a business verdict.
Measurement terminology
What it means
A result meeting a statistical decision threshold under a specified model and assumptions. It does not establish practical importance or the probability that a hypothesis is true.
Why it matters
A statistically detectable change may still be too small, uncertain, or costly to act on.
What better looks like
Report the effect estimate, uncertainty, and test method, then consider whether the size matters to the business.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Status Messages
Make updates heard as well as seen.
Accessibility standard
What it means
Messages about results or progress made available to assistive technology without requiring focus to move, where applicable.
Why it matters
An update is only useful if the customer can perceive it.
What better looks like
Announce 'Added to basket' to screen readers while leaving focus on the customer's current control.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Structured Data
Give the page an accurate machine-readable description.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Standardized markup describing page content to systems such as search engines.
Why it matters
Markup should reflect visible content. It does not guarantee enhanced results or AI citations.
What better looks like
Use DefinedTerm markup for definitions that actually appear on the glossary page.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Substantive Content
Give people something worth arriving for.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Content that contributes a useful explanation, evidence, or perspective rather than repeating generic claims.
Why it matters
A page needs to answer a real question before search visibility is commercially useful.
What better looks like
Explain the scope, practical use, and limits of a service with specific information a buyer can assess.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Superintelligence
A hypothetical capability beyond human performance.
AI terminology
What it means
A hypothetical level of AI capability substantially beyond human performance across a broad range of intellectual tasks. Definitions and forecasts vary.
Why it matters
This is a future-facing concept, not a useful substitute for evaluating a current product.
What better looks like
Keep speculation about future systems separate from the capabilities a supplier can demonstrate today.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. Future capability claims are speculative; definitions and forecasts vary.
Synthetic Data
Artificial data made for a practical purpose.
AI terminology
What it means
Synthetic data is artificially generated information designed to reproduce useful characteristics of real-world data.
Why it matters
Generated data needs utility and privacy assessment. Artificial does not automatically mean representative or anonymous.
What better looks like
Use synthetic records to exercise a form, then check that the scenarios cover realistic edge cases.
Synthetic Media
Content created or substantially changed by AI.
AI terminology
What it means
Synthetic media is content created or substantially modified using artificial intelligence.
Why it matters
People need clear context when the origin of an image, recording, or video affects their judgment.
What better looks like
Label an illustrative AI-generated image so visitors do not mistake it for a photograph of a real client event.
T
Target Size
Make the next tap a comfortable one.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The size and spacing of interactive pointer targets, assessed against the applicable accessibility requirements and exceptions.
Why it matters
Tiny, crowded controls demand more precision from the customer.
What better looks like
Give adjacent mobile links enough room to tap separately, then test the actual target bounds.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Task Completion Rate
Can people actually finish what they came to do?
Research & professional practice
What it means
The percentage of attempted tasks that meet a defined completion criterion. Define success, assistance, and partial completion before the study; reaching an end screen may not mean a correct result.
Why it matters
It makes usability concrete. A task test shows what happened under its study conditions, rather than predicting conversion across all visitors.
What better looks like
Illustrative calculation: if 8 of 10 participants correctly book the requested appointment without help, unassisted task success is 80% for that study. Report the small sample and conditions.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Task Path
Make sure the route actually reaches the destination.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The connected sequence of pages and controls needed to complete a priority task.
Why it matters
A persuasive page cannot compensate for a broken next step.
What better looks like
Follow the enquiry route from the service page to a clear confirmation, within the authorized test scope.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Temperature
A sampling setting, not a creativity certificate.
AI terminology
What it means
Temperature is a setting used with some generative AI models to influence how predictable or varied their outputs are.
Why it matters
Its availability and effect depend on the model. Lower variation does not guarantee factual accuracy.
What better looks like
Keep an extraction workflow consistent and validate its results instead of treating a low setting as an accuracy guarantee.
Text Alternatives
Let the picture tell its story in words, too.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A text equivalent for meaningful images, icons, and other non-text content. Decorative images should not add noise for screen-reader users.
Why it matters
A customer needs the information even when they cannot see the image.
What better looks like
Give an informative product diagram a useful description; mark a purely decorative flourish as decorative.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Text Contrast
Make the words comfortable to see.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The difference in lightness between text and its background, assessed against the relevant WCAG contrast requirements.
Why it matters
Elegant grey text is little use if the customer cannot read it.
What better looks like
Check body copy, placeholder text, and button labels against their actual backgrounds.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Text Resizing
Bigger words. Same usable page.
Accessibility standard
What it means
The ability to enlarge text without losing content or functionality within the standard's scope.
Why it matters
People who enlarge text still need to read prices, compare options, and finish tasks.
What better looks like
Let a longer button label wrap when text is enlarged, rather than clipping the action.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Text Spacing
Give the words room to breathe.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A layout that remains usable when visitors change line, paragraph, letter, or word spacing within WCAG's specified settings.
Why it matters
Reading preferences should not make content disappear or overlap.
What better looks like
Allow a card to grow when a visitor increases text spacing instead of fixing its height.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Third-party Handoffs
Introduce the next system before the customer gets there.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
A clear transition when another provider or site takes over part of the experience.
Why it matters
An unexpected new domain or process can leave people unsure whether they are still in the right place.
What better looks like
Explain that a payment button opens the chosen payment provider and what happens afterwards.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Token
A unit the model processes, not a word count.
AI terminology
What it means
A token is a small unit of information processed by a language model. A token may be a whole word, part of a word, or punctuation.
Why it matters
Tokenization affects capacity and usage. Words and tokens do not map one-to-one.
What better looks like
Check a document against the relevant model's limits rather than estimating capacity from its page count.
Tool Use
Let the system work with capabilities beyond text.
AI terminology
What it means
Tool use allows an AI model to interact with capabilities outside itself rather than simply generating text.
Why it matters
External actions need appropriate permissions and checks. Tool access is not the same as reliable execution.
What better looks like
Give an assistant read access to approved sources and require review before it publishes a recommendation.
Total Cost
Put the real price in plain sight.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
The full amount a customer needs to understand before committing, including applicable charges and conditions.
Why it matters
An appealing headline price should not turn into a surprise at the next step.
What better looks like
State the total fee and clearly identify any optional paid extras before payment.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Training
The process that adjusts a model from data.
AI terminology
What it means
Training is the process through which an AI model learns patterns from data.
Why it matters
Using a product and training its underlying model are different activities. Data handling depends on the particular service.
What better looks like
Check the provider's current data controls before putting business documents into an AI workflow.
Training Data
The material a model learns from.
AI terminology
What it means
Training data is the information used to teach an AI model.
Why it matters
Quality, relevance, and provenance matter. A model can reproduce limitations in the material it learned from.
What better looks like
Evaluate a system with current, relevant examples instead of assuming its training covered your audience and context.
Transaction Policies
Put the important conditions within reach.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Accessible information about matters such as delivery, returns, refunds, or cancellation.
Why it matters
Customers need the terms that could change their decision before committing.
What better looks like
Link returns and delivery terms beside the purchase information.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Transformer
An architecture behind many language models.
AI terminology
What it means
A transformer is a neural-network architecture introduced in 2017 that became foundational to modern large language models.
Why it matters
It helps explain the technology, but it does not tell you whether a particular application is useful or trustworthy.
What better looks like
Assess the assistant's evidence handling and task performance rather than using its architecture as a quality claim.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Transparency
No unpleasant surprises in the small print.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Being clear about material information: what is offered, what it costs, what happens next, and how information will be used. Here, it is a professional design practice rather than a standalone scientific law.
Why it matters
People need relevant facts before committing. Clear disclosure supports an informed decision and gives the business a more honest promise to fulfil.
What better looks like
Show the billing frequency, renewal terms, and unavoidable fees before payment, with a clear explanation of cancellation.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Trust Signals
Give people a reason to believe you.
Research & professional practice
What it means
Credible details that help people judge whether an organisation and its offer deserve their confidence. Examples include verifiable credentials, clear contact details, and honest policies.
Why it matters
Customers need relevant evidence at moments of uncertainty. A badge or testimonial is useful only when it is authentic and meaningful.
What better looks like
Put a verifiable professional credential beside the service explanation, and make pricing, contact, and cancellation information easy to find.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
V
Value Proposition
Tell people why this is worth their time.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
A clear explanation of what you offer, whom it helps, and the value it is intended to provide.
Why it matters
Visitors need to understand the offer before deciding whether to explore it.
What better looks like
Replace 'Innovative solutions' with a concrete description of the service and the customer's next step.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
Vector Database
Search for similar representations, not just matching words.
AI terminology
What it means
A vector database stores and retrieves numerical representations such as embeddings.
Why it matters
Similarity search can support discovery. The returned material still needs a relevance and accuracy check.
What better looks like
Find documents about checkout failures using a query about payment problems, then inspect the actual findings.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Visible Focus
Show people where the keyboard has taken them.
Accessibility standard
What it means
A visible indication of which interactive element currently has keyboard focus.
Why it matters
Without it, a keyboard user may have to guess which action Enter will trigger.
What better looks like
Give focused links and buttons a clear outline that is visible against the page.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. This is a plain-English explanation. The linked WCAG guidance gives the full scope, conditions, and exceptions; an individual check does not establish whole-site conformance.
Visual Hierarchy
Give the important things the first word.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The visual order that tells people what deserves attention first, second, and next. Size, spacing, grouping, and contrast help establish that order.
Why it matters
Customers need a clear route through the page. Your most useful message should be easier to spot than the small print.
What better looks like
Lead a service page with the offer, follow with the benefit and supporting proof, then make the next action clear.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Visual Saliency
What catches attention.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The relative attention-grabbing quality of something in a visual scene. Appearance can influence what stands out, but people’s goals and expectations also guide where they look.
Why it matters
An important action can be easy to miss when everything competes for attention. In a CXPR review, a saliency finding is an expert interpretation unless attention has actually been measured.
What better looks like
Give the main booking action space and a distinctive treatment. Then test whether people notice it; a bright button alone proves very little.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Voluntary Engagement
Let yes be a real choice.
CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Participation that is clearly optional and free from misleading pressure.
Why it matters
A business relationship needs a meaningful decision, not an accidental commitment.
What better looks like
Use an unchecked newsletter opt-in with a clear explanation of what someone will receive.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.
W
WCAG
A shared standard for accessible web content.
Research & professional practice
What it means
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by W3C. WCAG 2.2 includes testable success criteria at levels A, AA, and AAA. Level AA conformance includes all applicable A and AA criteria.
Why it matters
It gives teams a concrete standard to evaluate against. An automated scan alone cannot establish conformance or meet every person’s needs.
What better looks like
Check contrast, keyboard operation, focus visibility, error messages, and touch targets. Combine automated checks with manual and assistive-technology testing.
Sources & context
Illustrative example.
Evidence, with its feet on the ground
Good science. Clear limits.
These definitions explain established research, professional design practice, and CXPR’s own methodology. Practical examples show how we would apply the thinking. They are illustrations, not measured client results.
What each kind of evidence can tell you
- Established research principle
- A published finding or model, interpreted within its original scope and limitations.
- Expert interpretation
- A reviewer’s reasoned application of evidence to a specific experience.
- Directly observed interface finding
- What we can document on the interface. This does not establish what customers noticed or how often they struggled.
- Hypothesis requiring validation
- A plausible explanation or proposed change that still needs research or testing.
- Forecast KPI improvement
- An estimate with stated assumptions. It is not a guarantee or a measured result.
- Measured business outcome
- A recorded change in a defined metric, with its timeframe, baseline, and measurement method. Attributing cause needs an appropriate evaluation design.
How CXPR and Jaspurr use this thinking
Jaspurr holds the best practices. Your practitioner applies them in your CXPR. Your CXPS score and Growth Wheel show the current experience, weighted for your industry. The delta reveals the opportunity; your Playbook explains what to change, why, and what comes first.
Meet Jaspurr: our closed database of best practices · Evidence & AI standards
About the references
Research links appear within each entry. W3C supplies accessibility standards; Google documents Core Web Vitals; Nielsen Norman Group provides professional usability guidance; linked academic work supports the relevant research concepts. A source’s credibility does not establish that every application will work in every context.
External research links open in a new tab. Some publishers may require access to the full article; where practical, an author manuscript is provided. Definitions and source links reviewed 23 October 2026.
Turn understanding into action
Less confusion. More confidence. Better results.
Understanding the science is useful. Knowing what to do with it is where things get interesting.
The CXPR™ turns complex experience principles into clear, prioritized recommendations for your business.
Human-led. Science-backed. AI-accelerated.
You don’t need to become a UX expert. That’s our job.
Explore the CXPR™Questions about the glossary
Good questions.
Useful answers.
How should I use these definitions with my review?
Use the glossary to understand the terms in your findings and recommendations. The meaning still depends on the scope and context of your review.
Does a glossary definition prove a recommendation will work?
No. Definitions explain concepts. Recommendations require relevant evidence, expert interpretation and, where needed, testing with your audience.
Social Proof
Let relevant experience speak, with receipts.CXPR review lens — expert interpretation
What it means
Evidence about other people's experience, such as reviews or testimonials, assessed for authenticity, relevance, and provenance.
Why it matters
A testimonial should help someone judge the offer, not substitute for evidence of a promised result.
What better looks like
Use a genuine, permissioned testimonial with context, without implying that one client's outcome is typical.
Sources & context
Illustrative example. CXPR methodology. Read the linked explanation for context.