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Glossary

At Approval Studio, we want to ensure that you understand all the key elements of our software and how it works. To help out our new and experienced users, we’ve created a glossary with all the key terms to keep you updated!

Glossary

At Approval Studio, we want to ensure that you understand all the key elements of our software and how it works. To help out our new and experienced users, we’ve created a glossary with all the key terms to keep you updated!

Knowledgebase at hand

We want to make Approval Studio as accessible as possible to all our users. This glossary explains every curious term you might see and help you better navigate our website. If we’ve missed something — let us know!

Everything’s alphabetical, so pick the letter and check what you need.

Adobe Creative Cloud Extension

/noun/

an official Adobe extension to the main Approval Studio application that allows you to create projects and complete tasks from within your Adobe products.

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Annotation

/noun/

— a commentary to the specific asset area added in the review tool by the reviewer to provide feedback for the graphic designer and project manager.

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Approve

/verb/

 — to make a decision in the design review tool to acknowledge that the mockup corresponds with requirements and has no issues that need to be fixed.

Approve with changes

/verb/

 — to approve the version of the mockup where the requested changes were applied.

Artwork approval software

/noun/

— also design review tool, online proofing system, etc; a type of application that Approval Studio is. It is aimed at streamlining the design collaboration between all team members and giving the reviewers a platform to provide feedback for the design and compare the versions.

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Automation

/noun/

— a technological approach to the working processes that allows users to make certain parts of the workflow automatical via the use of an application. Approval Studio is an example of an application that automates many aspects of design review.

Adobe file formats

/noun/

— graphic file extensions such as .PSD or .AI specifically designed and proprietary of Adobe products. Supported by Approval Studio review tool.

Advanced search

/noun/

— an Approval Studio feature that allows you to search for a project by any keyword among completed, archived, and even deleted projects

Annotation shapes

/noun/

— the forms that reviewers can use to highlight the area on the asset. Approval Studio offers 5 of them: Point, Circle, Square, Arrow, and a Free Form.

API

/noun/

— stands for Application Programming Interface, a computing medium that puts two different applications on the same page and allows them to interact and communicate.

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Archive

/noun/

— the storage for projects in Approval Studio that were completed but are not yet to be deleted.

Artwork proofing

/noun/

— the process of design collaboration, the final goal of which is to approve the mockup created by the designer.

Asset

/noun/

 — a graphic file uploaded to the Approval Studio review system.

Barcode format

/noun/

 — a barcode type with a certain classification, e.g. UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, etc.

Barcode reader

/noun/

 — also barcode scanner; an Approval Studio feature that allows users to scan a barcode in the mockup to see if it is readable and created correctly.

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Brand identity

/noun/

— the elements of branding that define a certain brand, such as colors, logo, style, etc., that are used in a certain way in marketing to convey the meaning or the message to the audience.

Branding

/noun/

— the process of creating and promoting the brand identity to the audience.

Circle

/noun/

 — one of the four annotation shapes in Approval Studio created for marking circular objects in the mockup.

Converter

/noun/

— an additional tool created by Approval Studio that converts PDF files to JPG format without watermarks, registration, and quality reduction.

Cycle

/noun/

 — an iteration of the artwork in the Approval Studio application.

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Compare mode

/noun/

— a regime in the Approval Studio review tool that allows users to compare two different versions of one mockup with highlighted changes.

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Creative brief

/noun/

— also design brief; a guide or a blueprint for the upcoming design project that contains all the necessary information for the creative team to start the project.

Creative teams and agencies

/noun/

— teams that work in the design industry to develop the mockup for the customers’ needs.

Dashboard

/noun/

 — a part of the Approval Studio interface where you can create, manage, and search for projects and tasks.

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Design feedback

/noun/

— a commentary on the completed version of the artwork that evaluates the creative decisions of the designer and creative team.

Design proofing tool

/noun/

— a specific type of software developed for creative teams to gather feedback on project assets from multiple reviewers and process client communication.

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Difference 

/noun/

— one of the four compare modes in Approval Studio that only shows the changes applied in the new version of the mockup. Can be applied separately or in a Side-by-side mode.

Digital asset management

/noun/

 — organization of the digital files ensures that their owners can perform different tasks and operations. In Approval Studio, this primarily refers to design mockups and reference files.

Design collaboration

/noun/

— the team effort on a design project combined with close work with the customer to fulfill all project requirements.

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Design mockup

/noun/

— a draft of a completed design project that requires review.

Design project management

/noun/

— also creative project management; supervision of the processes and the workflow in a design project that requires creative effort to complete it.

Design review process

/noun/

— an exchange of feedback on design mockup by the parties involved in the design review.

Discussion board

/noun/

— a tab in the Approval Studio application for internal team discussions related to the project.

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Email notification

/noun/

— an email from the Approval Studio system that notifies users of the reviews or other tasks they need to complete in the application.

Email proofing

/noun/

— the outdated process of artwork review that exclusively relies on email communication.

Eye dropper

/noun/

— a review tool feature that allows users to identify a given color in RGB, HEX, HSL, HSB, Lab, CMYK, or Pantone.

External review 

/noun/

— an artwork review invitation sent out to a person outside of a creative team, typically a customer. Does not require registration.

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Fader 

/noun/

— one of the four compare modes in Approval Studio allows you to manually switch from one version to the other.

Free form

/noun/

— one of the four annotation shapes in Approval Studio created for marking objects on the mockup by drawing.

File sharing

/noun/

— the process of sending a file for review or download via email or a short link.

Graphic design

/noun/

 — the process of finding solutions to the client’s business needs via the means of graphics and creative imagery.

Graphic file format

/noun/

— a file format containing a digital image.

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Hide/show annotations

/verb/

 — a feature in Approval Studio that customizes the look in the review tool, depending on whether you need to see the annotations.

Integration

/noun/

— an interconnection between two different applications that allows users to streamline their review and approval process by combining the tools they use.

Iteration

/noun/

 — a new review cycle that starts with an upload of a new mockup version.

Internal review

/noun/

— an artwork review invitation sent out to the person within a creative team. Requires registration.

Jey from Approval Studio

/name/

— a guy who will reach out to you to tell you all about our startup. A funny character. Feel free to talk to him and ask questions at any time!

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Kanban board

/noun/

— a project management tool that visually represents various tasks/projects and their statuses depending on the column their card takes.

Layers

/noun/

 — stacked parts of graphic files that together form a digital image.

Logo design

/noun/

— a significant part of creating a brand identity that focuses on a symbol that embodies a business and is associated with it.

Layout

/noun/

— also graphic design layout; the arrangements of the graphic elements on the design mockup.

Marketing

/noun/

— the promotion of your product or service on the market that is very often based on graphic design and visuals.

Mobile-friendly review tool

/noun/

— a version of the Approval Studio review tool adapted for mobile devices.

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Mention

/verb/

— a function in the Approval Studio tool that allows you to tag other users in review tool comments or on a discussion board and engage in a conversation with them.

MS Office files

/noun/

— document file extensions used in Microsoft Office package such as .DOCX, .XLS, etc. Supported by Approval Studio review tool.

Multi-language interface

/noun/

— an interface with a language switcher in Approval Studio that ensures you can work with colleagues from all over the world, even if they speak different languages.

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Notification

/noun/

— a message in Slack or your email that informs you about a pending task or other updates in your Approval Studio tenant or in the project you are working on.

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OKTA

/noun/

— an ID management service that can be used to log in to Approval Studio.

Online review session

/noun/

— a process of a simultaneous design review when multiple reviewers discuss the mockup and add annotations in a live regime.

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Online collaboration tool

/noun/

— a specific software built to improve online interaction between the team members working on a specific part of a design review workflow.

On-screen ruler

/noun/

 — a feature in the Approval Studio review tool that allows users to measure the distance between objects in different measurement systems.

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Pending task

/noun/

— a task that is awaiting completion for the project to progress further.

Printing

/noun/

 — an industry focusing on the mass reproduction of text and imagery, typically connected with media or packaging.

Project documentation

/noun/

— digital files or physical documents containing important project-related information.

Project owner

/noun/

— a team member who created the project and supervises it.

Proof file

/noun/

— a file uploaded into the online review system for a review.

Point

/noun/

— one of the four annotation shapes in Approval Studio created for marking the smallest objects in the mockup.

Product packaging design

/noun/

— the creation of a functional wrapping for your product that ensures its security, represents your brand, and provides additional marketing value for your product.

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Project status

/noun/

— shows the current stage of the project (e.g In-progress, On Hold, Pending, Completed).

Proof report

/noun/

— a comprehensive summary of the whole project or a single proof file and all its iterations that can be downloaded in .PDF format.

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Quick link

/noun/

— also a short link; a link that can be found in the Share menu of the review tool that users can send to stakeholders outside the team to review the file without registration.

Quick search

/noun/

— a dashboard function that allows users to search for projects, tags, filenames, etc.

Reference files

/noun/

— additional section of the Files tab for documents or links with important information about the project, e.g. creative brief.

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Review workflow

/noun/

 — the order of actions and tasks that need to be completed to close the project.

Request changes

/noun/

 — also reject; to make a decision in the design review tool that the mockup does not correspond with requirements and has issues that need to be fixed. Requires at least one annotation to be applied to the image.

Review reminder

/noun/

 — also reject; to make a decision in the design review tool that the mockup does not correspond with requirements and has issues that need to be fixed. Requires at least one annotation to be applied to the image.

Selective approval

/noun/

— a feature in Approval Studio that enables selecting several files from their multiple variations within one project to approve.

Side-by-side

/noun/

— one of the four compare modes in Approval Studio that stacks two versions of the same mockup side by side to compare the changes. In this mode, users can also turn on the Difference highlighter.

Slack workspace

/noun/

 — a team space in Slack application that consists of various channels where the team members can interact and where they can receive notifications from Approval Studio on the project or tenant level.

Spellchecker

/noun/

 — also spell check; a function in the review tool that checks the correctness of spelling in the mockups that include typed-in text. Includes many languages.

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Short link

/noun/

— also a quick link; a link that can be found in the Share menu of the review tool that users can send to stakeholders outside the team to review the file without registration.

Slack integration

/noun/

— an official Approval Studio integration with Slack application that allows users to connect their tenant or a specific project in Approval Studio to the Slack workspace.

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Square

/noun/

— one of the four annotation shapes in Approval Studio created for marking rectangular objects on the mockup.

SSO

/noun/

— a Single Sign-On technology; an authentication method that enables users to log in to multiple services using a single user ID.

Task assignment

/noun/

— an assignment to a specific user that is a step in the project to move it forward.

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Toggle

/noun/

— one of four compare modes in Approval Studio that dynamically switches between two chosen versions of the mockup.

Tenant

/noun/

— a group of users with access to the same Approval Studio package and features who belong to the same company

Timeline

/noun/

— a tab in the project menu that includes information about every action completed within a project and can be searched and exported in .PDF or .XLS formats.

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User

/noun/

— it’s you! A registered single account within an Approval Studio tenant. The most important member of the Approval Studio family 💚.

Versioning

/noun/

— the process of uploading new versions (also cycles or iterations) of the same proof file.

Video review tool

/noun/

— a specific proofing tool designed for video review and approval.

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Webhooks

/noun/

— an HTTP request technology triggered by a certain event that is sent to an application to perform a certain action. Approval Studio uses webhooks in its API.

Workflow template

/noun/

— a set order of actions that are required to complete a project.

X

/letter/

— a third third-last letter of the English alphabet formed with two diagonal sticks crossing each other. It is known for being an especially difficult letter to figure out a term for a design approval glossary (or any other glossary that does not include the words xerox or xylophone).

Y

/why?/

— rhetorical question designers ask themselves when they receive a new portion of conflicting and incomprehensible clients’ edits via email instead of Approval Studio.

Zapier Integration

/noun/

— an official Approval Studio integration with the Zapier application that allows users to connect to other tools they use and set up workflows via Zapier as a medium.

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Keep up with all design review terms, easy-peasy.

Keep up with all design review terms, easy-peasy.