designdefinitions

Designdefinitions refers to the explicit, shared definitions of terms used within design contexts. The concept encompasses how designers, clients, and researchers define core notions such as design, user, usability, user experience, function, form, constraint, accessibility, ethics, and value. A set of designdefinitions can be documented in glossaries, style guides, design briefs, ontologies, or design systems to ensure consistent interpretation across teams and disciplines. The aim is to reduce ambiguity and align expectations during collaboration and evaluation.

In practice, designdefinitions emerge from project goals, organizational culture, and disciplinary traditions. They are often contextual and may evolve as technology, user needs, and societal norms change. They can be formalized as a glossary, a design language, or within a design system where terms are codified and linked to standards, metrics, or components.

Benefits include clearer communication, improved alignment, and reproducibility of design decisions. Challenges involve reconciling domain differences (industrial design, interaction design, graphic design), keeping definitions up to date, and avoiding over standardized that stifle creativity. Organizations may appoint design philosophers or editors to maintain designdefinitions.

Examples of designdefinitions include a glossary of terms in a product design brief, a UX design system that defines terms like persona, task flow, edge case, and usability, and an ethics clause that defines inclusivity and accessibility terms. Related concepts include design thinking, design system, glossary, ontology, and standardized terminology in design governance.