UX Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield UX facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is 'participatory design'? → A design approach that involves end users as active collaborators throughout the process
2. What is 'chunking' in the context of interface design? → Grouping related information together to reduce cognitive load
3. What does a 'task flow' diagram represent in UX design? → The sequence of steps a user takes to complete a specific task
4. What is a 'design token' in the context of design systems? → A named variable storing design values like colors and spacing
5. In IA, what distinguishes global navigation from local navigation? → Global navigation is site-wide and consistent; local navigation is specific to a section
6. In the double diamond design process, what happens in the second diamond? → Designers develop and deliver a solution based on a defined problem
7. Which principle describes the tendency of users to perceive elements that are close together as belonging to the same group? → Proximity
8. What does 'responsive design' primarily ensure? → That a website's layout adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions
9. What is the purpose of metadata in an IA system? → To add descriptive information to content that aids searching, filtering, and organizing
10. Which of Don Norman's design principles refers to user feedback from the system after an action? → Feedback
11. A designer wants to reduce cognitive load on a settings page. Which approach is MOST effective? → Group related settings under clear category headers
12. What is a 'mental model' in the context of UX and IA? → A user's internal understanding and expectations of how a system should work
13. What is a taxonomy in the context of Information Architecture? → A classification system that organizes content into hierarchical categories
14. A designer receives feedback that users feel 'lost' in a multi-step checkout flow. Which solution directly addresses this? → Implement a progress indicator showing current and total steps
15. What is the 'Gulf of Evaluation' in Don Norman's model? → The gap between the actual system state and how easily users can perceive and interpret it
16. Which Gestalt principle explains why users perceive items placed close together as belonging to the same group? → Proximity
17. What does 'affinity diagramming' help UX researchers accomplish? → Organize and cluster qualitative research findings into themes
18. What is meant by 'cognitive load' in the context of UX design? → The mental effort required to use an interface
19. Who developed the concept of 'dark patterns' in UX design? → Harry Brignull
20. Which of these components is present in the design of the user experience? → Financial planning
21. What is the primary goal of an 'affinity diagram' created during UX synthesis? → Organize large amounts of qualitative data into themes
22. A mobile app's primary action button is placed at the top center of the screen. Why is this considered poor mobile UX? → It falls outside the natural thumb reach zone for one-handed use
23. One of Nielsen's ten usability heuristics is which of the following? → Visibility of system status
24. Who is widely credited with coining the term 'User Experience' as a professional discipline? → Don Norman
25. What does Hick's Law state about decision-making in UX? → The time to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices
26. What is the primary goal of a contextual inquiry session? → To observe and interview users in their work environment
27. What are the four core principles of WCAG, known by the acronym POUR? → Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust
28. What does the term 'above the fold' mean in web design? → The portion of a webpage visible without scrolling
29. In interaction design, what is 'error prevention' preferred over? → Error messages
30. What does 'negative space' (white space) accomplish in UI design? → Improves readability and focuses attention on key elements