Definition: A methodology for creating design systems made up of atoms, molecules, organisms, templates, and pages.
Origin: Brad Frost put forward this new design system approach in his book Atomic Design.
Thoughts: Atomic design is used by product teams to keep everyone on the same page in order to create a consistent look, feel, and experience across a product. I will break down each atomic component (atoms, molecules, templates, and pages in the next set of blog posts).
Definition: (Full disclosure, this is a made up word -- but so worth defining) -- The organic structure that emerges from an unwillingness to think about how to structure something.
Origin: This word was made up by foremost information architecture expert, Abby Covert. It emerged from her frustration with designers lack of emphasis on how products are organized.
Thoughts: I felt that this word was important to define because any UXer worth her salt should understand the importance of information architecture and how organization impacts all aspects of design and ultimately a product's success.
Covert recently wrote an article on this very topic for the blog, A List Apart, and states,
We need to teach people that information architecture (IA) decisions are just as important as the look and feel of technology stack choices.
PSA: Don't ever fall into a lacksonomy and forget that there is always a better and more succinct way to organize information. Your users will thank you for this; I promise.
