UX research doesn't follow a whole different nomenclature. But, it comes with its own set of lingo and jargon. Here, we have listed 16 research terms you will certainly come across as a UX designer: - **A/B testing**
It is the comparison of two different versions of the same product to see which one performs better. Commonly dubbed as split testing, it is employed mostly in the case of CTA associated dilemmas. - **Card Sorting**
Card sorting helps understand, evaluate, and eventually design the information architecture of a site. Typically, users are asked to organize various topics using cards and a Sharpie pen. Evidently, they come up with categorization and placement that make sense to them. - **Conversion Rate**
The conversion rate for any product or site denotes the percentage of users who complete the desired action. For instance, the targeted transaction will be the desired action if you operate an e-commerce business. Entire focus centers around conversion rate towards the business end of the product. - **Customer Experience**
A customer's journey from 'first contact' with the brand to purchase of the product is called customer experience (CX). It includes interactions with all touchpoints associated with the brand and how the user collectively feels about it. Multiple touch points include different products and channels. - **Diary Study**
Diary study targets the qualitative data generated from user interactions, behavior, and experience. It is the accumulated reports of user activities on the site. The study time can range anywhere between a few days to even a month. - **Design thinking**
Empathy and experimentation is the soul of design thinking. Through design thinking, you anticipate what future users want rather than relying on historical data. It's about taking bold risks based on instincts. - **Empathy Map**
Empathy maps help visualize feelings, behavior, and attitude of the end-user. The four quadrants of this collaborative tool explains what he/she is saying, thinking, doing, and feeling. You must listen to what the user does rather than what the user says. - **Engagement**
Engagement is the measure of drawing user attention and retaining it. Any design element (including button or menu) that keeps the user hooked to screen is crucial. Besides time spent on site, you must also factor in the clicks and CTA actions. - **Heat Map**
It is the graphical map of areas on the site that enjoys the most user attention. The warm-to-cool spectrum helps pinpoint where users are going. The hotter areas are where maximum user interaction happens. - **Mental Map**
A mental map measures the closeness of the site's functionality to the user's mental model. The closer it is, the higher is the perceived usability. UX designing is nothing but visualizing a solution, which is why mental mapping becomes so important. - **Information Architecture**
Information architecture (IA) deals with how the content is organized on the site. Anything from search navigation to structures to labels, play a part in IA. It takes user, content, and context into account. - **MVP**
Minimal Viable Product or MVP features just the essential features to launch any product. Further additions will be made down the line. Nevertheless, MVPs are handy to make a quick release and get the ball rolling. - **Qualitative research**
Qualitative research is the study of user behavior based on context and observation instead of numerical data or statistics. The research tools used are field research, personal interviews, and usability testing (in-person or remote usability testing) reports. - **Quantitative research**
Qualitative research is the study of user behavior based on numerical data or statistics instead of context and observation. The commonly used research tools are surveys, polls, and questionnaires. - **Usability testing**
Usability is the measure of how effectively and efficiently a user can interact with the interface. Usability testing evaluates how easy a product is to use and how satisfactorily a user can interact. It can be done either in person or remotely. - **User Flow**
It is the sequence of steps taken by the user in order to complete a task. Technically, ' top path' is naturally the user flow for the site.

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