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• Above the Fold

In design, anything that is seen by the viewer without having to scroll down the page. The term originates from newspaper printing, referring to the first half of the front cover being visible to the passers-by.

• Authentic

Something with automatic appeal.

• Boil the Ocean

To make a project or job unnecessarily difficult. The speaker wants to keep things simple and prevent wasted effort.

• Best in Class

The best of it’s kind.

• Belt and Suspenders

Refers to over-complicated designs, however it could also refer positively to designs with multiple protective barriers in place.

• Boondoggle

A mistake.

• Brain Dump

Brainstorming, typically with a team.

• Charette

An intense meeting meant to get complicated design work done quickly. Usually, everyone involved in a project is pulled into the same place to solve a problem.

For most creatives, Charette is the king of creative industry catchphrases. It basically means high-pressure work. The term is used when someone important isn’t happy with the way things are going.

• Change Agent

The cause of a change. It may be someone taking initiative or an acknowledgment that a change has a certain source.

• Circle Back/ Table the conversation

‘We’ll finish/ discuss this later’.

• Core Competency

What the organisation is best at.

• Cradle to Grave

From the beginning to the end of a design’s lifecycle.

• Disruptive

Indicates that something completely changes the market or breaks rules. It usually doesn’t.

• Do More With Less

Budget-friendly, or a roundabout way of saying there isn’t much money available.

• Due Diligence

To take reasonable steps to avoid risks and challenges.

• Empower

To centre someone or something in a project or process.

• First and Foremost

A phrase followed by the most important task within a project, that is needed to complete first.

• Flat

A design that doesn’t look good.

• Gating Item

Something that prevents a product or design from going to market.

• Growth Hacking

A marketing strategy, focused on the growth of an organisation.

• Guesstimate

Typically means the same as either ‘guess’ or ‘estimate.’

• Headwinds

Challenges for an organisation.

• Horsey

An undesirable design element.

• Hyperlocal

A strong focus on the local market or users.

• Ideation

Thinking, brainstorming.

• Irregardless

Regardless or Irrespective.

• It Is What It Is

We can’t or won’t be doing anything about this. Or, I don’t care about this.

• Iterate

To take repeated trial and error to get to the final result.

• Leverage

To use something as a tool in order to reach a desired result.

• Lots of Moving Parts

‘There’s a lot happening here and we may or may not know all of it or to what extent it’s happening’ or ‘I know this but there’s no need to explain it to you in great detail’.

• Low Hanging Fruit

The easy or obvious option.

• Magic Bullet/ Silver Bullet

A miracle solution.

• Make It Pop

Make it better.

• New Normal

A new way of doing things.

• Organic Growth

Easy or automatic growth.

• Pain Points

User problems or things people have a hard time using and understanding.

• Perfect Storm

Technically, this phrase means a highly specific scenario that seems tailor-made to wreck a project. It could also be used to exaggerate the severity of a problem to disguise a poor reaction, though.

• Pull the Trigger

To go through with something.

• Reinvent the Wheel

To waste ones time, creating a solution that already exists.

• Resource Intensive

A process which requires a significant number of resources, typically used to define a project as expensive.

• Robust

Well-made or effective.

• Scalability

‘We can expand this project if it’s successful’.

• Secret Sauce

Unique or proprietary tactics or ideas.

• Stopgap

A temporary way of dealing with an issue.

• Synergy

The collaboration of two or more organisations to reach a major goal.

• Take It To The Next Level

Make something better.

• Tee Up

Get it ready to execute.

• Test the Water

Make initial assessments.

• Touch Base

To talk or discuss with peers, to keep one another updated with project evolvements.

• Trim the Fat

Get rid of unneeded project aspects.

• War Room

An office or meeting room.

(Credited Source- The Creative’s Guide to Corporate Jargon – icreatives )