Design term of the day · Follow or Bounce One term a day from the Dictionary of Design. https://followorbounce.github.io/feeds/design-term.xml 2026-10-28T00:00:00-07:00 Follow or Bouncehttps://followorbounce.github.io/ https://followorbounce.github.io/assets/favicon.svg Gradient tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-28:design-term 2026-10-28T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-28T00:00:00-07:00 A continuous, stepless transition between two visual states — most often color, value, or scale. Rhythm tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-27:design-term 2026-10-27T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-27T00:00:00-07:00 Visual tempo produced by repeating elements with controlled variation in spacing, size, or form. Prototype tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-26:design-term 2026-10-26T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-26T00:00:00-07:00 An interactive or tangible model of a design used to test its functionality, flow, and user experience. API tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-25:design-term 2026-10-25T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-25T00:00:00-07:00 An interface enabling one piece of software to interact with another — adjacent professional vocabulary a designer encounters, not a design concept in its own right. Unity tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-24:design-term 2026-10-24T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-24T00:00:00-07:00 The degree to which elements read as belonging to one coherent whole rather than as unrelated parts. Module tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-23:design-term 2026-10-23T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-23T00:00:00-07:00 A single repeatable unit whose form determines the structure and proportions of a larger composition. Abstraction tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-22:design-term 2026-10-22T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-22T00:00:00-07:00 Progressive simplification of a recognizable form into essential geometric shape, retaining what makes it identifiable while discarding surface detail. Wireframe tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-21:design-term 2026-10-21T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-21T00:00:00-07:00 A simplified visual guide showing a layout's structure and hierarchy without detailed styling. Plasticity tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-20:design-term 2026-10-20T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-20T00:00:00-07:00 The degree to which a form reads as pliable or moldable rather than rigid, judged from its contours and transitions. Frontend / Backend tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-19:design-term 2026-10-19T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-19T00:00:00-07:00 The two halves of a digital system: frontend is what a user sees, backend is the server-side logic and data behind it — adjacent professional vocabulary. Scale tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-18:design-term 2026-10-18T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-18T00:00:00-07:00 Perceived size, understood only through comparison against another object or a known reference, not as an absolute measure. Tectonics tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-17:design-term 2026-10-17T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-17T00:00:00-07:00 The expressive articulation of a structure's logic through the treatment of its surface and form. API tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-16:design-term 2026-10-16T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-16T00:00:00-07:00 An interface enabling one piece of software to interact with another — adjacent professional vocabulary a designer encounters, not a design concept in its own right. Unity tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-15:design-term 2026-10-15T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-15T00:00:00-07:00 The degree to which elements read as belonging to one coherent whole rather than as unrelated parts. Typography System tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-14:design-term 2026-10-14T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-14T00:00:00-07:00 The organized use of typefaces, styles, spacing, and hierarchy to communicate clearly and consistently across a project. Illustration Pack tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-13:design-term 2026-10-13T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-13T00:00:00-07:00 A collection of related illustrations sharing one style and thematic language, used consistently across a project. Visual Identity tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-12:design-term 2026-10-12T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-12T00:00:00-07:00 The visual components of a brand or project — logo, color palette, typography, and imagery — forming one recognizable system. PDF tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-11:design-term 2026-10-11T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-11T00:00:00-07:00 Portable Document Format — preserves a document's layout, typography, and graphics identically across platforms. Legibility tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-10:design-term 2026-10-10T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-10T00:00:00-07:00 Whether individual letterforms can be told apart from one another at a glance. Collage tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-09:design-term 2026-10-09T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-09T00:00:00-07:00 A technique of combining diverse, often unrelated visual fragments into one new, unified composition. Rhythm tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-08:design-term 2026-10-08T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-08T00:00:00-07:00 Visual tempo produced by repeating elements with controlled variation in spacing, size, or form. Brandbook tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-07:design-term 2026-10-07T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-07T00:00:00-07:00 A comprehensive document defining a project's visual identity, typography, color palette, and guidelines for consistent application. Composition tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-06:design-term 2026-10-06T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-06T00:00:00-07:00 The spatial and proportional organization of elements into a coherent whole. Light tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-05:design-term 2026-10-05T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-05T00:00:00-07:00 The degree of illumination defining an object's visibility, and its contrast against surrounding darkness. Raster tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-04:design-term 2026-10-04T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-04T00:00:00-07:00 A pixel-based image format whose detail is fixed at capture or creation, distinguished from RAW by not necessarily being an unprocessed camera file. Grading (Career Grading) tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-03:design-term 2026-10-03T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-03T00:00:00-07:00 A structured system defining professional levels, responsibilities, and skill growth within a discipline. CMS tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-02:design-term 2026-10-02T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-02T00:00:00-07:00 A software platform for creating, managing, and publishing digital content — adjacent professional vocabulary. Composition tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-10-01:design-term 2026-10-01T00:00:00-07:00 2026-10-01T00:00:00-07:00 The spatial and proportional organization of elements into a coherent whole. Affordance tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-09-30:design-term 2026-09-30T00:00:00-07:00 2026-09-30T00:00:00-07:00 A property of a form's shape that suggests, on its own, how it is meant to be used. Digital Toolkit tag:followorbounce.github.io,2026-09-29:design-term 2026-09-29T00:00:00-07:00 2026-09-29T00:00:00-07:00 The suite of software, templates, and resources used to create, edit, and manage a digital design project — absorbs what the source separately, redundantly, called Graphic Editor.