Glossary

the degree to which an information deliverable can be accessed, understood, and used by those with disabilities

To learn more, visit https://www.access-board.gov/ict/.

a grammatical technique in which a subject is clearly the agent of the action described by the verb

any content element (such as an image, font, code block, etc.) that exists on its own and is stored and managed for use within deliverables

the specific characteristics of an element

a person who develops content (which may include managing, researching, organizing, compiling, writing, editing, designing, etc.)

In information development, the author may not be the owner, and may be conveying the ideas of others.

in printing, the area of a design that extends slightly beyond the final cut edges of a page so that no white edges show in the final deliverable

a small unit of content that conveys closely related ideas

the process of organizing a large body of information into smaller "chunks" of information that are presented sequentially, with the goal of making the information easier to understand and retain

a visual attribute that results from the interaction of light and the human perceptual system

Color has three main components: hue, value, and chroma.

Standards for determining color are managed by international organizations such as the Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

a type of logical reasoning that follows an "if-then" format

For example, if a content element is a paragraph, then it should be presented in the main body font.

the percievable form of one or more cohesive ideas that has been prepared for sharing, distribution, or use

The term content is often used as a synonym for message or concept, and refers to the ideas being conveyed, rather than the prepared and percievable form of those ideas. However, for information developers, it is vital to distinguish between the ideas, which are often owned by subject-matter experts or other stakeholders, and the content, which exists independently.

the process and product of selecting elements and their attributes and arranging them in relation to one another in order to effectively convey ideas

Typically, content design refers primarily to writing. However, within the framework of Science-Based Content Design, it refers to all percievable elements of a content deliverable.

an element (such as a list, caption, sidebar, image, etc.) used to convey a cohesive idea within a content deliverable

Content elements that exist separately and are stored and managed for use are also assets.

The basic content elements that make up a deliverable vary depending on media.