Vfs Digital Design Lexicon

VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON

How to speak dIGITAL dESIGN

Ad GIF Click Kern A comprehensive jpeg dictionary for Digital Design industry terms A

ActionScript An object-oriented programming language originally developed by Macromedia Inc. (now owned by Adobe Systems). It is primarily used for the development of websites and software targeting the Adobe Flash Player platform, used on Web pages in the form of embedded SWF files.

Ad Audience The number of people exposed to an ad within a specified time period.

Ad Click A measurement of how people interact with a banner ad. Each type of click interaction — click-thru, in-unit and mouseover — creates a redirect to another web location or another frame within the ad.

Ad Impression An ad that is served to a person’s browser. They can be requested by a browser (referred to as”pulled” ads) or pushed, such as e-mailed ads.

Ad Network An aggregator or broker of advertising for many sites. Ad networks are the sales representatives for the websites within the network. The Google network, for example, represents over a thousand websites.

Ad Serving The delivery of ads by a server to an end user’s computer. It’s normally performed by either a web publisher or a third-party ad server. DoubleClick, Eyewonder, and Eyeblaster are all ad servers.

Advergame A downloadable or Web-based computer game which incorporates and features advertising for products and services.

Agile Project Management An iterative method of determining requirements for interactive applications and/or software and for delivering projects in a highly flexible and collaborative manner. It requires empowered individuals from the relevant business, with supplier and customer input. The difference between Agile and iterative development is that the delivery time in Agile is in weeks rather than months.

Aliasing The appearance of jagged distortions in curves and diagonal lines in computer graphics because the resolution is limited or diminished.

Alignment Aligning a technology product or service with the business needs. Or the proper positioning of all typefaces and size variations along an imaginary reference line.

Animated GIF An animated image that is created by combining multiple GIF (Graphics Interchange (Graphics Interchange Format) Format) images — a bitmap image format into a single file.

Ascender The part of the tall lowercase letters, such as b, d, and h, that extends above the other lowercase letters.

Aspect Ratio The ratio of an image calculated by its width in relation to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this same length unit, the height will be measured to be y units. The most common aspect ratios used today in the presentation of films in movie theaters are 1.85:1 and 2.39:1. Two common video aspect ratios are 4:3 (1.33:1), universal for standard-definition video formats, and 16:9 (1.78:1), universal for high-definition television and European digital television. Other cinema and video aspect ratios exist, but they vary heavily based on presentation device and screen resolution.

2 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON A Arduino An open-source electronics prototyping platform, designed to make the process of using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible.

Augmented Reality A live, direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics.

Avatar A grahic, visual character in a game that represents and is controlled by the player.

AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) Adobe Integrated Runtime. A cross-operating system which allows developers to combine HTML, Flash, and Flex technologies to create rich internet applications (RIAs). AIR also allows developers to use layout programs, such as InDesign and Dreamweaver, or any text editor to build their applications.

By meditating on this advertising campaign, I have expanded my awareness.

Awareness The percentage of population or target market who are aware of the existence of a given brand or company. There are two types of awareness: spontaneous, which measures the percentage of people who automatically mention a particular brand when asked to name brands in a certain category; and prompted, which measures the percentage of people who recognize a brand from a particular category when shown a list.

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Banner A graphic advertising image displayed on a web page. Banners can be static images, animated GIFs, or Flash objects. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) features banner size information on their site, www.iab.net.

Baseline The invisible line that letters sit on in a line of text. Some letters, like the lowercase “g”, hang below the baseline.

Behavioral Targeting A technique used by online publishers and advertisers to increase the effectiveness of a campaign. It uses information collected from individuals, such as pages visited or searches made, to select what ads are served. The idea is to present the right message to the right person at the right time.

Bird's Eye View A shot in which the camera photographs a scene from directly overhead.

Blog A simple way for people to publish their thoughts, commentary or news. Blogs are usually online personal journals, but they can also focus on specific interest areas like art, celebrities, technology, etc. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

Bookmark Stored web page locations (URLs) that can be retrieved. A feature of all modern Internet web browsers, their primary purpose is to easily catalog and access web pages that a user has visited and saved. With the advent of social bookmarking, shared bookmarks have become a means for users sharing similar interests to pool web resources, or to store their bookmarks so they are not tied to one specific computer or browser. Web-based bookmarking services let users save bookmarks.

? ? Better getBetter inside. get I hear inside. I hear there is ather big ebrainstorm is a big brainstorm on the way!!on the way!!

Brainstorming An individual or group creativity technique designed to generate a large number of ideas for the solution of a problem. (see Paper Storming)

4 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON B Brand A brand is a mixture of attributes, tangible and intangible, symbolized in a trademark, which, if managed properly, creates value and influence.

Brand Architecture The structure and naming of an organization’s multiple brands. There are three main types of brand architecture system: monolithic, where the corporate name is used on all products and services offered by the company; endorsed, where all sub-brands are linked to the corporate brand by means of either a verbal or visual endorsement; and freestanding, where the corporate brand operates merely as a holding company, and each product or service is individually branded for its target market.

Brand Equity The sum of all distinguishing qualities of a brand, drawn from all relevant stakeholders, that results in personal commitment to and demand for the brand; these differentiating thoughts and feelings make the brand valued and valuable.

Brand Essence The brand's promise expressed in the simplest, most single-minded terms. For example, Volvo = Safety; AA = Fourth Emergency Service. The most powerful brand essences are rooted in a fundamental customer need.

Brand Experience The means by which a brand is created in the mind of a stakeholder. Some experiences are controlled, such as retail environments, advertising, products/services, websites, etc. Some are uncontrolled like journalistic comment and word of mouth. Strong brands arise from consistent experiences which combine to form a clear, differentiated overall brand experience.

Brand Identity The outward expression of the brand, including its name and visual appearance. The brand's identity is its fundamental means of consumer recognition and symbolizes the brand's differentiation from competitors.

Brand Management Practically, this involves managing the tangible and intangible aspects of the brand. For product brands the tangibles are the product itself, the packaging, the price, etc. For service brands, the tangibles are related the customer experience — the retail environment, interface with salespeople, overall satisfaction, etc. For product, service and corporate brands, the intangibles are the same and refer to the emotional connections derived as a result of experience, identity, communication and people. Intangibles are therefore managed via the manipulation of identity, communication and people skills.

Brand Personality The attribution of human personality traits (seriousness, warmth, imagination, etc.) to a brand as a way to achieve differentiation. Usually this is accomplished through long-term above-the-line advertising and appropriate packaging and graphics. These traits inform brand behavior through both prepared communication/packaging, etc., and through the people who represent the brand — its employees and celebrity brand ambassadors.

Brand Platform The Brand Platform consists of the following elements:

Brand Vision The brand's guiding insight into its world.

Brand Mission How the brand will act on its insight.

Brand Values The code by which the brand lives. The brand values act as a benchmark to measure behaviors and performance.

Brand Personality The brand's human-life characteristics or traits.

5 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON B Brand Tone of Voice How the brand speaks to its audiences.

Branding Selecting and blending tangible and intangible attributes to differentiate a product, service or corporation in an attractive, meaningful and compelling way.

Bundler An InDesign application function that takes multiple .issue files and “bundles” them into a single .IPA file, which can then be read as an eMagazine in the Viewer app by Adobe.

The Bundler is my all-time favorite super-villain!

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Call-To-Action Statement usually found near the conclusion of a commercial message that summons the consumer to act.

Canted Angle, Dutch Angle, Dutched Angle The angling of the camera so that the horizontal frame line is not parallel to the horizon.

CAPM The first level of project management certification as established by the Project (Certified Associate in Project Management) Management Institute (PMI): http://www.pmi.org (see PMI).

Card Sorting An activity used to help group topics and categories within a site. This technique is best used in the early stages of information architecture design. Card sorting is a categorization method where users sort cards depicting various pieces of information into categories. This can be done from an experts point of a view or using actual users of the site to see where there are commanalities.

Click-stream The recording of what a computer user clicks on while web browsing or using another software application. As the user clicks anywhere in the site or application, the action is logged on a client or inside the web server, as well as possibly the web browser, routers, proxy servers and ad servers. Click-stream analysis is useful for web activity analysis, software testing and market research.

Client-side Refers to operations that are performed by the client in a client–server relationship in a computer network. Typically, a client is a computer application, such as a web browser, that runs on a user's local computer or workstation and connects to a server as necessary.

Close-up, Close Shot A detailed view of a person or object, usually without much context of the surrounding environment.

Consumer Generated Media (CGM) Posts made by consumers in online venues, such as social media websites, Internet forums, blogs, wikis, discussion lists, etc., on products they have purchased, questions they have, or problems they are trying to solve. The idea has since evolved from its early roots of consumer feedback via online letters and e-mail to encompass new media, such as video, photos and social networking sites, as well as consumer-fortified media to describe the use of programs such as Digg, Delicious and StumbleUpon.

Content & Section Sponsorship Advertisers who exclusively sponsor a particular section of a site or e-mail that includes the advertiser’s branding.

Content Strategy A high-level strategic overview of content (text, visual assets, etc.) for a website or interactive application. It includes an analysis of the content you have (a Content Audit or Content Inventory) and an assessment of the content you need. It becomes the basis for all decisions about content.

Contextual Ads A form of targeted advertising appearing on websites or other media, such as content displayed in mobile browsers. The ads themselves are selected and served by automated systems based on the content displayed to the user.

Contextual Search Text links appear in an article based on the context of the content, instead of a user- submitted keyword. Payment only occurs when the link is clicked.

7 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON C Continuity The kind of logic implied in the association of ideas between edited shots. "Cutting to continuity" emphasizes smooth transitions between shots, in which space and time are unobtrusively condensed. "Classical cutting" emphasizes dramatic or emotional logic between shots rather than one based strictly on considerations of time and space. In "thematic montage" the continuity is based entirely on ideas, irrespective of literal time and space. In some instances, "continuity" refers to the space-time continuum of reality before it is photographed.

I like collecting cookies but they always seem to go stale.

Cookie A file that is stored in a person’s browser used to identify that particular person. Cookies usually store information like user preferences, shopping cart contents and other website information. Most browsers let users decide whether to accept cookies and how long to keep them.

Copy Writing The process of writing text for an advertisement that gets readers attention, generates interest and desire, and prompts action.

Corporate Identity At a minimum, is used to refer to the visual identity of a corporation (logo, signage, etc.), but usually taken to mean an organization's presentation to its stakeholders and the means by which it differentiates itself from other organizations.

CPC (Cost Per Click) The cost of advertising based on the number of clicks received.

8 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON C I keep debugging but the roaches always come back.

CPI (Cost Per Interaction) Cost of advertising based on a user taking some specifically defined action in response to a Rich Media (e.g., PointRoll®) ad. “Interactions” include such things as rolling over an ad and expanding different panels within an ad.

CPL (Cost Per Lead) Cost of advertising based on the number of database files (or leads/new customers) received.

CTR (Click-thru Rate) Ratio of ad clicks to ad impressions. The industry average CTR is currently much less than 1% for a standard banner.

Crane Shot A shot taken from a special device called a crane, which resembles a huge mechanical arm. The crane carries the camera and cameraman, and can move in virtually any direction.

Creative Brief A short document at the beginning of a project that defines the task at hand and establishes the strategy for the creative and conceptual direction of the project.

Customer Experience Sum of all experiences a customer has with a supplier of goods or services, over the duration of their relationship with that supplier. It can also be used to mean an individual experience over one transaction; the distinction is usually clear in context.

Customer Relationship Management Tracking customer behavior for the purpose of developing marketing and relationship- (CRM) building processes that bond the consumer to the brand. Developing software or systems to provide one-to-one customer service and personal contact between the company and the customer.

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Debugging A methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware, thus making it behave as expected.

Digital Printing Essentially, printing directly onto paper from a digital file, without plates. There are a wide range of printing technologies covered by “digital printing”. Most digital printing is dry toner-based. Some higher-end digital printers, such as the HP Indigo, use liquid ink and even accommodate additional spot colours in addition to CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black). Digital printing is changing constantly at the moment, but is still most common for short runs or runs which require customization with variable data, such as for one-to-one marketing.

Dolly Zoom, “Zolly” An unsettling, in-camera special effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception in film. The effect is achieved by using the setting of a zoom lens to adjust the angle of view (often referred to as field of view) while the camera dollies (or moves) towards or away from the subject in such a way as to keep the subject the same size in the frame throughout. In its classic form, the camera is pulled away from a subject while the lens zooms in, or vice-versa. Thus, during the zoom, there is a continuous perspective distortion, the most directly noticeable feature being that the background appears to change size relative to the subject.

Domain Name The name that identifies a website, usually ending with .com for commercial web sites. Other common designators like .net (network), .org (non-commercial), .edu (educational) and .gov (governmental) are all considered generic domains. There are also geographic domains like .us (United States), .uk (United Kingdom), .ca (Canada), etc. to designate countries of origin.

DPI (Dots Per Inch) “Dots per inch”, or the number of dots within an inch of printed image, is a measure of image resolution. The DPI of an image on screen is not fixed: decreasing the physical size of the image increases the DPI, as the number of dots are redistributed and become denser. Increasing the size of a digital image reduces the DPI. Standard DPI values are: 72 DPI (screen), 300 DPI (basic print), 500 – 1200 DPI (fine line drawings, such as architecture plans and smooth, high-contrast objects, such as rasterized type).

Drop-Cap The first letter of a paragraph that is enlarged to "drop" down two or more lines, as in the next paragraph.

orem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. In iaculis semper adipiscing. Etiam Lmi lacus, porttitor a elementum nec, porttitor ac elit. Cras faucibus tempor neque, quis mat- tis nulla facilisis sed. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Dynamic Rotation Delivery of ads on a rotating, random basis so that users are exposed to different ads and ads are served on a different pages of the site.

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Elipse a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it; a geometric figure resembling an elongated circle.

E-mail Advertising Banner ads, links or advertiser sponsorships that appear in e-mail newsletters, e-mail marketing campaigns and other commercial e-mail communications. It can be used with e-mails that are either plain text or HTML-based.

eBook A book in electronic or digital form. It may be a simple PDF in its most basic form. eBooks are developing so rapidly at the moment that they are not very standardized. The most common readers (hardware) for eBooks are the Kindle by Amazon and the iPad. The complexity of an eBook ranges from simple black-and-white text to be flipped or scrolled through to colour images paired with dynamic floating text.

Engraving A traditional type of printing produced by pressing an engraved metal plate into the surface of paper. The result is that the printed area is depressed (it can also be raised). Common for wedding invitations. The result is similar to letterpress.

ePub Electronic publication. ePub is technically designed for reflowable content, however some readers, such as the Viewer app by Adobe, are not reflowable. Reflowable content means the text automatically wraps words in a document to the next line as the user changes window size and thereby relocates the right margin of the page.

Establishing Shot Usually an extreme long or long shot offered at the beginning of a scene or sequence providing the viewer with the context of the subsequent closer shots.

Ethnography A subdiscipline of anthropology and sociology that stresses qualitative research, as opposed to the more "scientific" quantitative research that measures specific behaviors, tests hypotheses, includes statistics, etc.

ETV (Enhanced Television) A type of interactive television technology that allows content producers to send data and graphic “enhancements.” These enhancements appear as overlays on the video and allow viewers to click on them if they are watching TV via a special set-top box or software service.

Expandable Banner A banner ad that expands to 2–3 times its original size when a person interacts with it, either through a click or a mouseover. Expandable banners allow advertisers to bring an engaging experience to a user without requiring them to leave the site on which the original ad was served.

Extreme Close-up A minutely detailed view of an object or a person. An extreme close-up of an actor generally includes only his eyes or his mouth.

Extreme Long Shot A panoramic view of an exterior location, photographed from a great distance, often as far as a quarter-mile away.

Eye-level Shot The placement of the camera approximately 5 to 6 feet from the ground corresponding to the height of an observer on the scene.

Eye-line, Sight-line An imaginary line that is drawn between a subject and the object at which he or she is looking. The direction of a subject’s eyes in relation to the placement of a camera. When closeups of two individuals are edited together in conversation, their sight-lines must match in order for it to appear that they are looking at each other.

Eye-tracking A research method that determines what part of an advertisement consumers look at, by tracking the pattern of their eye movements.

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Faceted Search Faceted search, also known as faceted navigation or faceted browsing, is a technique for accessing a collection of information represented using a faceted classification, allowing users to explore by filtering available information. Unlike a simple hierarchical scheme, faceted search gives the users the ability to find items based on more than one dimension. For example, some users shopping for jewelry may be most interested in browsing by a particular type of jewelry (earrings, necklaces), while others are more interested in browsing by a particular material (gold, silver). “Material” and “type” are examples of facets; earrings, necklaces, gold, silver are examples of facet values.

Fish-eye Lens An extreme wide angle lens, which distorts the image so radically that the edges seem wrapped into a sphere.

.issue File A file used to make an eMagazine. It is produced in InDesign. Initially only available for publishing eMagazines on the Apple iPad, but will eventually be available for other platforms. A .issue file is made up of multiple “stacks” (see “Stacks”). When processed through the Bundler (see “Bundler”) a .issue file becomes a .IPA file which can then be made available as an eMagazine on the iPad.

.IPA File A file which may be used with an app made by Adobe called the "viewer" to produce an eMagazine for the iPad.

Flash A popular multimedia platform that is commonly used to create animation, advertisements and various web page components. It’s also used to integrate video into web pages and, more recently, to develop rich Internet applications.

Floating Ad An ad that appears within the main browser window on top of the web pages normal content, thereby appearing to “float” over the top of the page. Often referred to as an Eyeblaster or BadBoy.

Focus Group A qualitative research technique in which a group of about eight people is invited to a neutral venue to discuss a given subject. The principle is the same as an in-depth interview, except that group dynamics help to make the discussion livelier and more wide-ranging. Qualitative groups enable the researcher to probe deeper into specific areas of interest (for example, the nature of commitment to a brand). The result adds richer texture to the understanding of broader data (for example, quantitative), which may paint general trends or observations. Also known as a group discussion.

Fold The line below which a user has to scroll to see content not immediately visible when a web page loads in a browser. Monitor size and resolution determine where on the page the fold lies.

Folksonomy Collaborative categorization using a community tool for developing a controlled vocabulary of metadata tags.

Font A set of repeatable glyphs (usually including upper- and lowercase alphabet, punctuation, and numerals) which can be used to set type. In general parlance, “font” is often used interchangeably with “typeface”. Technically, a font is the physical manifestation (digital or metal) of a typeface. For example, 11-point Helvetica UltraLight Condensed is a font of Helvetica Neue (the typeface).

Frequency The number of times an ad is delivered to the same browser in a single session or time period. A site can use cookies (see Cookies) in order to manage ad frequency.

FTP File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to copy a file from one host to another over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet.

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Geo-targeting Displaying content based on automated or assumed knowledge of an end user’s position in the real world. Geo-targeting is relevant to both PC and mobile data services.

Graphical User Interface A graphical user interface (GUI) is a method of human interaction with a computer through direct manipulation of graphical images and widgets in addition to text.

Heuristic Evaluation A technique for finding usability problems with a user interface. A small number of trained evaluators, such as usability specialists (typically, 1 to 3), separately inspect a user interface by applying a set of "heurisitics", usability principles. The testers then combine their results and rank the importance of each problem to prioritize revisions.

Hierarchy A system of persons or things arranged in a graded order. A formal structure, usually represented by a diagram of connected nodes, with a single uppermost element.

Hit A request to a web server for a file (web page, image, JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheet, etc.). When a web page is uploaded from a server, the number of "hits" or "page hits" is equal to the number of files requested.

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML is the basic building-blocks of webpages. A markup language is a set of markup tags, and HTML uses markup tags to describe web pages.

Icon A graphic symbol (usually a simple picture) that conveys the conceptual meaning of a program or command in a graphical user interface.

Illustration Any type of picture or decoration used in conjunction with text to embellish its appearance or to clarify its meaning.

In-banner Video Ad A video spot that takes up real estate within an online banner. These ads run on a typical HTML page without video content, unlike a pre-roll or broadband video commercial that runs prior to video content.

Information Architecture The combination of organization, labeling, navigation schemes and retrieval mechanisms within an information space, such as a website.

Insert, Insert Shot A film term usually used to describe a close-up of important detail in a scene.

Instant Messaging (IM) A method of communicating in real time, either one-to-one or in groups, over the Internet. People use IM clients (like AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, iChat, etc.) to communicate with their friends instantly.

13 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON GHI Interaction Design Document (IDD) A document containing a collection of high-fidelity wireframes describing the content, behavior, and interaction/scenarios of an interface.

Interstitial An ad that appears in between two sections of interactive content.

IOC (Interactive Overlay Creator) Interactive Overlay Creator. Created by Adobe to transform InDesign files into eMagazine format viewable on the iPad using the Viewer app by Adobe.

JavaScript A programming language that runs on a client's browser which makes a page more interactive. JavaScript can make animated images, activate pop-up windows, to change when your mouse rolls over it, etc.

Jib, Camera Jib In cinematography, a jib is a boom device with a camera on one end, and a counterweight and camera controls on the other. It operates like a see-saw, but with the balance point located close to the counterweight, so that the camera end of the arm can move through an extended arc. A jib permits the camera to be moved vertically, horizontally, or a combination of the two. A jib is often mounted on a tripod or similar support.

Jump Cut A linkage of shots in a scene in which the appearance of real continuous time has been interrupted by omission. In certain situations jump cuts are an accepted convention for compressing time. They can also be used as deliberately disruptive devices or staccatos, specifically in music videos and commercials for purely rhythmic effects.

Keyword Specific word entered into a search engine by the user that results in a list of web sites related to the term. Keywords can be purchased by advertisers to highlight their site or to serve an ad related to the user’s search.

Kerning The adjustment of space between two letters in a typeset word. Kerning is generally done to make the spacing between each letter of a word (or phrase) look optically consistent. Not to be confused with “tracking”.

Kicker A piece of metadata which shows up when scrolling through the table of contents of an eMagazine in the Viewer app by Adobe. A kicker is added using the Bundler (see Bundler).

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Leaderboard A wide, short online ad unit. The IAB guidelines recommend two sizes of leaderboards: 468 × 60 and 728 × 90.

Letterpress A traditional type of printing which physically presses metal type into the surface of paper with liquid ink or varnish. Similar in finish to engraving.

cc ii GG ctct itit Ligature A set of characters, usually a pair, which are “tied” together to become a single glyph. The idea is to make the letters flow together in a more aesthetically pleasing way. The most common ligatures are “ﬁ” in place of “fi” and “ﬂ” in place of “fl”, because the “f” bumps into the dot of the “i” and the top of the “l”. Almost every font has an alternate ligature for “fi” ( and “fl”. Most Adobe products allow you to turn on ligatures in preferences, so that they occur automatically. Otherwise they need to be accessed separately (i.e., through the glyphs palette). Discretionary ligatures are pairs of letters which have a decorative flourish tying them together. At VFS, Mrs. Eaves has a large library of discretionary ligatures, such as g or u. Common discretionary ligatures are s and c.

Lining Figures Numerals which are all the same height and sit directly on the baseline (basically, regular numbers). These are used for columns of numbers, such as in an annual report (See Text Figures).

Linux A computer operating system that is a UNIX clone. It was created by programmer Linus Torvalds, who gave Linux its name. Linux is the most successful example of open source software.

Locked Off, Locked Off Camera Used when referring to a stationary camera — usually on a tripod or other stable support — that will not change in a specific take. The mechanism that controls its movement, such as a fluid head or geared head, should be locked in position for a static shot.

Long Shot A camera shot taken at a relatively great distance from the subject and permitting a broad view of a scene.

Lower Third In the television industry (especially in North America), a lower third is a graphic placed in the lower area of the screen, though not necessarily the entire lower third of it, as the name suggests. In its simplest form, a lower third can just be text overlying the video. Frequently, this text is white with a drop shadow to make the words easier to read. A lower third can also contain graphical elements, such as boxes, images or shading. Some lower thirds have animated backgrounds and text.

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M-Commerce (Mobile Commerce) The ability to conduct transactions with a mobile device, such as a smart phone.

Market Share A company's share of total sales of a given category of product in a given market. Market share can be expressed either in terms of volume (how many units sold) or value (the worth of units sold).

Master A post-production term that signifies a finished file that has been delivered to a client as “complete”.

Mastering A term that refers to the final pass of post-production; typically involving output for broadcast, output for web, and down-compression for specific devices and video codecs. Mastering is also used as a blanket term for detail work and may be used to describe animation finishing, colour grading, and sound design.

Match Cut A cut in film editing between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which an object in the two shots graphically match, often helping to establish a strong continuity of action and linking the two shots metaphorically.

Medium Shot A relatively close shot, revealing a moderate amount of detail. A medium shot of a figure generally includes the body from the knees or waist up.

Meta-Data Descriptive data that is attached to an object (element) that allows a piece of content to be more accurately indexed, retrieved or processed.

Microblogging Publishing very brief posts — usually fewer than 140 characters — to a public website.

Microsite A web page or cluster of web pages that exist as a supplement to a primary website. Microsites are intended to be temporary and deliver an editorial or commercial message. Commercial microsites often highlight new products or support new advertising campaigns.

Midroll A form of online video ad placement where the ad is played during a break in the middle of the video content.

I can’t wait to learn Vulcan mind-mapping. It’s so cool when Spock does it.

Mind Map A diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central keyword or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

16 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON M Monolithic Brand A single brand name that is used to "masterbrand" all products or services in a range. Individual products are nearly always identified by alpha or numeric signifiers. Companies like Mercedes and BMW favor such systems.

Montage Transitional sequences of rapidly edited images used to suggest the lapse of time or the passing of events. Often employs dissolves and multiple exposures. In Europe, "montage" means editing.

Mouseover The process by which someone places his or her mouse over a media object without clicking. This interaction is often used to reveal additional information or content in an expandable format.

Multi-Sate Object Multiple versions of an object, or state, can be placed on a page in InDesign. Objects are stacked and aligned on top of one another. A “state” refers to the condition of an object with respect to its form, structure and attributes. Only one state is visible on a page at a time. This is especially useful for documents that may appear in more than one format, such as screen and print. CS5 InDesign has a new Object States panel which allows a designer to create multi-state objects.

There’s no way that iPhone is worth 4G!!!

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Who wants to learn about nomenclature? Personally, I find gnomes quite boring.

Names There are three basic categories of brand (or corporate) names: Descriptive Name: A name which describes the product or service for which it is intended (e.g., TALKING PAGES). Associative Name: A name which alludes to an aspect or benefit of the product or service, often by means of an original or striking image or idea (e.g., VISA). Freestanding Name: A name which has no link to the product or service but which might have meaning of its own (e.g., PENGUIN). The following are also helpful: Abstract Name: A name which is entirely invented and has no meaning of its own (e.g., ZENECA). Abstract names are a sub-set of freestanding names because they also have no link to the product of service. Coined Name: Any name which is in some way invented. Coined names can be descriptive (CO-CREATE), associative (IMATION) and freestanding/abstract (ZENECA).

Nomenclature A list of names and/or terms, or the system of principles, procedures and terms related to naming. The assigning of a word or phrase to a particular object or property.

18 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON N O

Object Oriented Programming An approach to programming which involves the building of abstracted code objects designed to interact with each other. This is an alternative to the simpler but more common 'procedural programming method'. JAVA and C++ are examples of well known languages that often use this method.

Open Source The practice of publicly sharing intellectual property where all of the source materials (or more typically — computer source code) is available for anybody to add to and improve, on the condition that it remains open and free. Popular open source applications include the Firefox web browser, VLC Media Player, the Apache web server, and the Ubuntu operating system.

Offset Printing Print which is produced by transferring liquid ink from a plate onto paper, via a rubber blanket. In the late 90s most printers began using direct-to-plate technology, so that plates are made from digital files rather than from film. Plates are usually metal, sometimes plastic. Offset typically uses 4 plates, 1 each of C (Cyan), M (Magenta), Y (Yellow), and K (Black). Also commonly used are “spot colours” which are premixed colours used on a single plate, such as Pantone colours. Offset printing is most commonly used for large runs.

Ontology A set of explicit shared formal concepts which permits categorization. It is used to organize or classify content, information, or knowledge.

Opt-in Refers to an individual giving a company permission to use data collected from or about the individual for a particular reason, such as to market the company’s products and services.

Opt-in E-mail Lists of Internet users who have voluntarily signed up to receive commercial e-mail about topics of interest.

Opt-out When a company states that it plans to market its products and services to an individual unless the individual asks to be removed from the company’s mailing list. This strategy is not considered as polite as opt-in.

Over-the-shoulder Shot A medium shot, useful in dialogue scenes, in which one actor is photographed head- on from over the shoulder of another actor.

Packaging Design The 3-dimensional design of the pack format and graphics for a product brand.

Page View A page view or page impression is a request to load a single HTML file ('page') of an Internet site. On the World Wide Web, a 'page' request would result from a web surfer clicking on a link on another 'page' pointing to the 'page' in question. This should be contrasted with a hit, which refers to a request for any file from a web server.

Paid Inclusion Guarantees that a marketer’s URL is indexed by a search engine. The listing is determined by the engine’s search algorithms.

Paid Listings Text links appear at the top or side of search results for specific keywords. The more a marketer pays, the higher the position it gets. Marketers only pay when a user clicks on the text link.

19 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON OP Paperstorming A rapid brainstorming method in which a group of people quickly generate concepts, write them down on paper and then determine, as a group, which ones are most successful.

Parallel Two or more straight coplanar (lying or occurring in the same plane) lines that do not intersect.

Perpendicular A vertical or nearly vertical line or plane (being at right angles to the horizontal).

Perspective The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface.

Persona Identifies a specific type of user by creating a fictional person with ethnographic details — a given name, gender, age, education, interests, work description, behaviours, attitudes, etc.

Pixel A picture element (single illuminated dot) on a computer monitor. It is the unit of measure for banner ads. A leaderboard, for example, is 728 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall.

Podcast A method of publishing audio or video files to the Internet allowing people to subscribe to a feed and receive new files automatically, usually at no cost. Video podcasts are sometimes referred to as Vodcasts.

Podcasting is my latest fly-fishing technique.

Point-of-view Shot, POV Any shot which is taken from the vantage point of a character in the film. Also known as the first person camera.

PointRoll An advertising rich media provider that enables advertisers to maximize online marketing impact by expanding existing standard ad units, floating ads, streaming video in ads, etc.

20 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON P Pop-under Ad An online ad that appears in a separate window beneath an open window. Pop-under ads are concealed until the top window is closed, moved, resized or minimized.

Pop-up Ad An online ad that appears in a separate window on top of content already on screen.

Pop-up Transitional An online ad that initiates play in a separate window during the transition between content pages.

Portal A website that often serves as a starting point for a web user’s session. It typically provides services, such as search, a directory of websites, news, weather, e-mail, homepage space, stock quotes, sports and more.

Positioning Statement A written description of the position that a company wishes itself, its product or its brand to occupy in the minds of a defined target audience.

Posting An entry on a message board, blog or other online forum.

Primary Navigation The top level navigation of a site used to indicate the current section and to navigate between all other main sections.

Print Design which is produced by ink on paper. There are many ways to print, including silkscreening, offset, letterpress, engraving and digitally. Arguably, books which are rendered on screen, such as on a Kindle or iPad, are a new subset of print design. (See also Offset Printing; Digital Printing; Silkscreen; Engraving; Letterpress.)

Pre-roll A form of online video ad placement where the ad is played before the content video.

Pre-visualization Previsualization (also known as previz or previs) is a term that is often used to describe any technique that attempts to visualize projects (e.g., brainstorming, wireframes, storyboards, etc.)

Profiling The practice of tracking information about consumers’ interests by monitoring their movements online. This can be done without using any personal information, but simply by analyzing the content, URLs and other information about a user’s browsing path or click-stream.

PERT A project management estimating technique for activity durations that uses a (Program Evaluation & Review Technique) weighted average to model the duration probability distribution.

PMBOK The approach (and guide book) of the PMI. (See PMI). (Project Management Book of Knowledge)

PMI (Project Management Institute) The Project Management Institute is the world’s leading association for the project management profession. It administers a globally-recognized, rigorous, educational, and/or professional experience and examination-based professional credentialing program that maintains an ISO 9001 certification in quality management systems.

PMP (Project Management Professional) Project Management Professional qualification, certified by the PMI.

Prototype One of the first units manufactured of a product, which is tested so that the design can be changed if necessary before the product is manufactured commercially.

Publisher An individual or organization that prepares, issues and disseminates content for public distribution or sale via one or more media.

21 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON P R

Rack Focusing, Selective Focusing The blurring of focal planes in sequence, forcing the viewer's eye to "travel" with those areas of an image that remain in sharp focus.

R.A.S.C.I. Project management acronym used to describe project resource responsibilities: Responsible, Accountable, Supportive, Consulted, Informed.

Ratio Relation in degree or number between two similar things.

Reach The total number of unique visitors who will be served a given ad.

Rebrand When a brand owner revisits the brand with the purpose of updating or revising based on internal or external circumstances. Rebranding is often necessary after a merger or acquisition, or if the brand has outgrown its identity/marketplace.

Repeat Visitor A unique visitor who has accessed a website more than once over a specific time period.

Repositioning Communications activities to give an existing product a new position in customers' minds and so expanding or otherwise altering its potential market. Many potentially valuable products lead an obscure existence because they were launched or positioned in an inadequate manner. It is almost always possible to enhance the value of such products by repositioning them.

Return Visits The average number of times a repeat visitor returns to a website over a specific time period.

Rich Media A method of communication that incorporates animation, sounds, video and/or interactivity. Rich media ads also have a much larger file size than a standard banner, which allows for a more compelling experience. The click-through rate (See CTR) is similar to a banner ad, but the average interction rate is over 2% and interaction time is over 11 seconds.

Roadblock Two or more Internet ads of various sizes that combine to form a unit, which dominates the screen.

ROI (Return on Investment) A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments.

RON (Run of Network) The scheduling of Internet advertising whereby a network positions ads across the site it represents at its own discretion, according to available inventory.

ROS (Run of Site) The scheduling of Internet advertising where ads run across an entire site, often at a lower cost to the advertiser than the purchase of specific site sub-sections.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) A process for publishing content on the Internet that facilitates moving content into other environments. For example, top stories on a newspaper website can be published as an RSS feed and pulled into a web portal site. RSS readers are software programs or websites that enable users to subscribe to one or more RSS feeds, delivering content and information from multiple sources into a single-user interface.

22 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON R Hey, Hey! I know!! Let’s get Rich Media to pay for this campaign!!

Hey, Hey! I know!! Let’s get Rich Media to pay for this campaign!! S

Sans Serif In typography, a sans-serif, sans serif or san serif typeface is one that does not have the small features called “serifs” at the end of strokes. The term comes from the French word sans, meaning "without". In print, sans-serif fonts are more typically used for headlines than for body text. The conventional wisdom holds that serifs help guide the eye along the lines in large blocks of text. Sans-serifs, however, have acquired considerable acceptance for body text in Europe. Sans-serif fonts have become the de facto standard for body text on-screen, especially online. This is partly because interlaced displays may show twittering on the fine details of the horizontal serifs. Additionally, the low resolution of digital displays in general can make fine details like serifs disappear or appear too large. Before the term “sans-serif” became standard in English typography, a number of other terms had been used. One of these outmoded terms for sans serif was gothic, which is still used in East Asian typography and sometimes seen in font names like Century Gothic. Sans-serif fonts are sometimes, especially in older documents, used as a device for emphasis, due to their typically blacker type color. (See Serif.)

Scale A proportion used in determining the dimensional relationship of a representation to that which it represents. In illustration, it’s a drawing that shows a real object with accurate sizes except they have all been reduced or enlarged by a certain amount (called the scale). The scale is shown as the length in the drawing, then a colon (":"), then the matching length on the real thing. Example: this drawing has a scale of "1:10", so anything drawn with the size of "1" would have a size of "10" in the real world, so a measurement of 150mm on the drawing would be 1500mm on the real object.

Scene A unit of film composed of a number of interrelated shots, unified usually by a central concern — a location, incident, or minor dramatic climax.

Screencast A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, often containing audio narration.

Scripting Language A scripting language is a form of programming language that is usually interpreted rather than compiled. Conventional programs are converted permanently into executable files before they are run. In contrast, programs in scripting language are interpreted one command at a time. Scripting languages are often written to facilitate enhanced features of websites. These features are processed on the server but the script in a specific page runs on the user's browser.

Scrubber Panel A drop-down panel with a bar which allows the viewer or listener to control playback of a sound, movie, or multi-page document (such as a digital magazine or book). The bar shows the user where they are in the timeline of the document they are accessing and the panel displays elapsed time and /or chapter and /or episode number as well. Scrubber panels are found on most handheld Apple products, such as the iPod and iPad.

Scrum An agile framework for completing complex projects. Scrum originally was formalized for software development projects, but works well for any complex scope of work.

SDK (Software Development Kit) A set of tools to help programmers write new applications and interfaces based on an existing system.

24 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON S Search Advertising Fees advertisers pay Internet companies to list and/or link their company site to a specific search word or phrase.

Search Engine A program that helps web users find information on the Internet. The method for finding this information is usually done by maintaining an index of web resources that can be queried for the keyword or concepts entered by the user.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) A form of Internet marketing that promotes websites by increasing their visibility in the search engine result pages.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) The process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid ("organic” — listings on search engine results pages that appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to their being advertisements or "algorithmic") search results. Other forms of search engine marketing (See SEM) target paid listings. In general, the earlier (or higher on the page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines. Optimizing a website may involve editing its content and HTML and associated coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines. Promoting a site to increase the number of backlinks, or inbound links, is another SEO tactic. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe website designs, menus, content management systems, images, videos, shopping carts, and other elements that have been optimized for the purpose of search engine exposure.

Secondary Navigation An additional navigation layer used in conjunction with the primary navigation in order to navigate between sub pages of active sections.

Server-side Refers to operations that are performed by the server in a client–server relationship in computer networking. Typically, a server is a software program, such as a web server, that runs on a remote server, reachable from a user's local computer or workstation.

Site Map A chart/graph that shows the structure and hierarchy of pages within a site. This should include primary pages, secondary pages, tertiary, etc. pages, utilities, footer navigation, etc.

Serif, Serifed Typeface A small, additional stroke or the main stroke of a letter. Serifs are thought to add to the legibility of printed text, because they give a more nuanced shape to each letterform and word. On the other hand, they are considered by some to be less legible on screen, since more detail could disguise the basic letterform when backlit (optically filling in). However, this is a slightly old-fashioned way of thinking. Though good to keep in mind, it is not a hard rule.

Silkscreen A type of printing which uses ink pressed through a mesh screen. The screen is first treated with an impermeable coating. Then, areas of the coating are removed with a stencil, allowing ink to pass through. Commercial silkscreen printing is common for cloth, plastic, wallpaper, or any object which can not be passed through a regular printing press, such as a bottle or a DVD disc. Some artists enjoy using silkscreening for paper prints, usually released as a limited edition. Each print is done by hand and is therefore unique.

Site Optimization Modifies a site to make it easier for search engines to automatically index the site and, ideally, results in better search engine placement.

25 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON S Skins Customized and interchangeable sets of graphics which allow people to continually change the look of their desktops or browsers, without changing their settings or functionality.

Skyscraper A tall, narrow, online ad unit. The IAB guidelines recommend two sizes of skyscrapers: 120 × 600 and 160 × 600.

S.M.A.R.T. A project management acronym often used to define project objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relative, Time-bound.

SMS (Short Message Service) The standard for sending and receiving short (140 characters or less) text messages via mobile phones.

Small Caps Letters with the shape of an uppercase (capital) letter and the x-height of a lowercase letter (or close to the x-height). The purpose of a text figure is to be decorative or to blend uppercase letters (i.e., USA or NAFTA) into the surrounding text. Small caps shouldn’t be used in place of capital letters and they should not be faked (i.e. using a smaller point size to make the letter look smaller). Not all typefaces have a set of small caps. When looking for small caps in a type library, they may be found under “small caps”, “SC”, “Old style figures”, “OSF” or “expert”. Unfortunately, this is not standardized, so each typeface must be examined separately. In the VFS library, there are several typefaces that come with small caps, including Meta, Mrs. Eaves and Bauer Bodoni.

Social Bookmarking Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to share, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web resources. Bookmarks are a way for users to identify and store a website URL so that one can return to it easily. Unlike file sharing, the resources themselves aren't shared, merely bookmarks reference them. These bookmarks are usually public and can be saved privately, shared only with specified people or groups, shared only inside certain networks, or another combination of public and private domains. The allowed people can usually view these bookmarks chronologically, by category or tags, or via a search engine.

Social Marketing A marketing tactic that taps into the growth of social networks, encouraging users to adopt and pass along widgets or other content modules created by a brand, or to add a brand to the user’s social circle of friends.

Social Network An online service, platform or site that focuses on building and reflecting social relationships among people who share common interests and activities. Popular social networking sites include MySpace, YouTube and Facebook.

Sphere A three-dimensional surface in which all points are equidistant from a fixed point, such as a globe.

Sponsor An advertiser that has a special relationship with a website and supports a specific feature, such as a writer’s column or a collection of articles on a particular subject.

Sponsorship Represents custom content and/or experiences created for an advertiser that may or may not include ad units.

Spotlights Custom-built pages incorporating an advertiser’s brand and housing a collection of content usually around a theme.

SQL (Structured Query Language) A computer database language used to request or modify information from a database.

26 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON S Stack A stack is a component of a .issue file (see “.issue file”) and is therefore a basic unit in producing an eMagazine using the Viewer app by Adobe for the iPad. Each .issue file is composed of multiple stacks. A stack is composed of 2 InDesign files — 1 portrait or “vertical” and 1 landscape or “horizontal” file — and a PNG file which is used to visually identify the section of the magazine in the table of contents of the eMagazine.

Storyboard Originally, a series of drawings that lay out the sequence of scenes in a film, especially an animated one, but now any sequence of drawings or diagrams, as to illustrate the sequence of events within various media.

Streaming An Internet data transfer technique that allows the user to see and hear audio and video files. The source compresses, then “streams” small packets of information to the user who can then access the content as it is received.

SWOT A method of analysis that can isolate the key risks that could have an impact on the (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) success of a project. By identifying the main strengths of the project, this in turn produces specific threats towards its progress. It is also essential to spell out the assumptions made prior to starting the analysis process.

Sub-brand A product or service brand that has its own name and visual identity to differentiate it from the parent brand.

Superstitals An interstitial format developed by Unicast that is fully pre-cached before playing. Specs are 550 × 480, up to 100k file size and up to 20 seconds in length.

Sweepstakes & Contests A lottery in which the prize consists of the money paid by the participants. In Internet marketing, these can range from a branded sweepstakes on a site to a complete branded contest with submissions and judging.

Hey, I’m ready for our SWOT meeting!

27 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON S T

Tag A keyword or descriptive term associated with an item as a means of classification. Tags are usually chosen informally by the author of the item, not as part of a formally defined classification scheme. They are also typically used in dynamic, flexible, automatically generated taxonomies for online resources, such as computer files, web pages, digital images and bookmarks. For this reason, “tagging” has become associated with the Web 2.0 movement.

Target Market The market segment or group of customers that a company has decided to serve, and at which it consequently aims its marketing activities.

I was going to learn taxonomy but I’m in the wrong tax bracket.

Taxonomy Hierarchy (or tree) with a top element (or root), depending on your preference for Top Down or Bottom Up design. Nodes (or branch points) are names for things (objects) or concepts. In a simple taxonomy, each item being classified fits in just one place in the taxonomy, with a single parent and any number of children.

28 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON T Telephoto Lens, Long Lens, Tele A lens which magnifies the size of objects/subjects at a great distance. A significant side effect is tendency to flatten perspective.

Text Figures These are also known as “hanging figures” and sometimes filed under “old-style figures”, “OSF”, or “expert” in font libraries. Text figures are numerals which sit at different points on the baseline to simulate the movement of text. So, in the same way a lowercase “g” hangs partially below the baseline, while an “x” sits right on the baseline, the text figure of a “3” hangs partially below the baseline, while the “1” sits right on the baseline. The purpose of text figure is to blend into a body of text. Many contemporary typefaces, such as Meta, use text figures as the default and store lining figures (regular numerals) separately. Older typefaces, such as Bodoni, use lining figures as the default and store the text figures separately. Unfortunately the system is not very standardized and the only solution is to examine each typeface separately to see which font has the text figures. See also “Small Caps” and “Baseline”.

Tracking A typographic term which means uniformly adding or reducing the amount of space between each letter in a word or line of text. “Tracking out” means adding space between each letter. This is also sometimes called “letterspacing”. Reducing the amount of space between each letter is “tracking in”. Tracking is sometimes used to fit type. It is also used stylistically. Generally, the legibility of words set in uppercase is increased by generous tracking. However, this damages the legibility of words set in lowercase. Therefore, traditionally typographers frown on tracking out lowercase type. The exception is type on screen, which can benefit from being lightly tracked out (both upper — or lowercase type). Tracking is not to be confused with kerning.

Tracking, Tracking Shot A shot taken from a camera mounted on a dolly or other moving vehicle. “Tracking” can be used to describe directional movement across the “x” and “z” axes in a composition and can be used to describe movements at both variable and constant speeds.

Typeface The design of a repeatable set of characters, often including the alphabet, numerals and punctuation. Most typefaces are produced as a family of related fonts, commonly including a roman and an italic. Most families also contain multiple weights, and sometimes condensed and extended fonts. For example, the typeface “Helvetica” contains the fonts Helvetica Light, Helvetica Medium, Helvetica Bold, Helvetica Bold Italic and Helvetica Bold Condensed, etc.

Helvetica Light Helvetica Medium Helvetica Bold Helvetica Bold Italic Helvetica Bold Condensed

29 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON T U

Unique User A specific user who accesses a website within a specific time period or has been served unique content and/or ads, such as e-mail, newsletters, interstitials and pop-under ads. Unique users can be identified by user registration or cookies.

Usability the study of how easy it is for a user to perform tasks with a product or service. It attempts to quantify "ease of use" and "user friendliness" by User Testing.

Utilities (Page Utilities) Page utilities are elements that can be found on every page of a site. (i.e., Search, Login, etc.). These should be described in the site map and wireframe documents.

USP (Unique Selling Proposition) Every professional, product, person, and idea has a differentiated positioning. It sets you apart form others and it highlights your unique skills, philosophy, experience, talent and advantages that others may not have. It should always be relevant to your audience, employers or customers

Vanishing Point The point at which parallel lines receding from an observer seem to coverge, and, consequently, where things disappear of seemingly cease to exist.

Viral Marketing Any advertising that propagates itself. Viral marketing spreads by getting passed on from consumer to consumer and market to market.

Viral Video Online video clips (often short and humorous) that are passed via links from one person to another.

Virtual Worlds Three-dimensional computerized environments that multiple users can explore and interact with via avatars. The term is often used to define services that are open-ended and geared for socializing as opposed to the more goal-oriented environments of online games.

Visual Identity The aesthetic aspects of a brand including, among other things, its logo, typography, packaging and literature systems.

Vlog A video-based blog. Entries are made regularly and often combine embedded videos with supporting text, images and other data.

Voice Over, V/O A production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television, film, theatre, or other presentation. The voice-over may be spoken by someone who appears elsewhere in the production or by a specialist voice actor. A voice over may also be used to indicate the thoughts of a character in a scene when the character is not speaking.

30 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON UV W

Waterfall Model A sequential design process, often used in software development processes, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of Concepting, Initiation, Analysis, Design, Development, Testing and Maintenance.

WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) An open, international standard for application layer network communications in a wireless communication environment. Its main use is to enable access to the mobile web from a cell phone or PDA. A WAP browser provides all of the basic services of a computer-based web browser, but simplifies it to operate within the restrictions of a mobile phone, such as its smaller view screen.

Web 2.0 A supposed second generation of Internet-based services that let people collaborate and share information online in perceived new ways — such as social networking sites, wikis and communication tools.

Web Browser A software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. Popular web browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Web Hosting A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible via the World Wide Web

Wide Angle Lens, Short Lens A lens which permits the camera to photograph a wider area than a normal lens. A significant side effect is its tendency to exaggerate perspective. Also used for deep- focus photography.

Widget A small application designed to reside on a PC desktop (Mac OS X or Windows Vista) or within a web-based portal (iGoogle) or social networking site (e.g., MySpace or Facebook) that offers useful or entertaining functionality to the end user.

Vacation is awesome!! Let’s go get a drink at the wiki hut.

31 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON W Wiki A type of website that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change available content — sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for collaborative authoring.

Wireframes The blueprint representation of a website, web application or software application. This document should include all functional requirements for each page and should also include technical notes.

Xcode An IDE, or Integrated Development Environment, produced by Apple. IDE aims to integrate the experience of editing of source code, from build to debugging, without leaving the view of the underlying source code.

Zoom Lens A lens of variable focal length which permits the cameraman to change from wide angle to telephoto shots (and vice versa) in one continuous movement.

3G The “Third Generation” mobile network infrastructure. As of 2007, it was deployed by mobile operators in most of Europe, East Asia and North America. 3G supports much higher data speeds than previous mobile networks, in some cases approaching wired broadband connections.

4G The “Fourth Generation” of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to the 2G and 3G families of standards. The nomenclature of the generations generally refers to a change in the fundamental nature of the service, non-backwards compatible transmission technology and new frequency bands.

32 VFS DIGITAL DESIGN LEXICON WXZ

VFS Terms Credits APPENDIX Program Many thanks to Wikipedia, The Free The entire 1 year (48 weeks) collection Dictionary and our faculty for compiling of courses. the terms and definitions in this lexicon. Special thanks to Myron Campbell for Class his wonderful illustrations (drawbynight. The group of students attending a notsosimpleton.com) and Robin Mitchell- particular course/lesson. Cranfield for her amazing graphic design Course (hundredsandthousands.com). The 7 week collection of lessons/exercises focused on one topic. The VFS Digital Design Lexicon, Version 1, Lesson Published May, 2011. The 3 hour session that makes up 1/7th of a course (i.e., courses are typically 7 lessons long).

Compendium Compendium is a transmedia iPad magazine produced by VFS Entertainment Business Management. It is a multi-disci- plinary collaboration across all programs that typically involves over 120 students, faculty and alumni. The proceeds of the sale of the Compendium app benefit Wikimedia, an international, non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the growth and development of free content, multilingual, wiki-based projects.

APPENDIX

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